Kevin Wang found his path to a record-setting NCAA swimming career after a recruitment visit to Whitworth. What began as just a weekend of fun for Wang, touring campus with an old teammate who swam for Whitworth, turned into an affiliation with the university that spanned more than a decade.
Wang grew up in New Jersey competing with other nationally decorated swimmers before moving west for college. Seventeen years since the end of his student-athlete career, Wang is still the most celebrated swimmer in Whitworth history. In addition to bringing the university its first NCAA Division III title in the 400 individual medley while setting a national record, Wang also secured 11 All-America honors in his collegiate career.
Wang's advice for current student-athletes: "Schedule workouts and recovery times to something that works with you." Wang also stressed the importance of getting a degree and said being a student-athlete offers the added benefit of having coaches, teams and athletic departments all geared toward your success. "They make it easier to be successful in college," he said.
In the classroom, Wang's interest in stories and human connection influenced his decision to study theology after initially working toward a physics and engineering degree. Theology offered a view into people's deeper motivations for Wang, which he found immediately useful.
After graduating in 2004, Wang quickly took a job coaching swimming at Whitworth. As a swim coach, Wang liked to identify the motivations of each of his athletes as he honed their techniques and skills as swimmers. Wang credits this approach to having helped produce successful athletes at the collegiate and club levels.
"People are always trying to accomplish something, and if you can identify what it is that they're trying to accomplish, it's really easy to relate to them after that," Wang said. "As a coach, it becomes simple to show them better, faster ways to get to where they want to be."
The ability to guide others to succeed based on their individual motivations remains an invaluable skill for Wang in his work today as senior vice president of wealth management for UBS Financial in Boise, Idaho. "Whether that's a worldview, a religious view or a set of ethical beliefs, having the ability to have any conversation with any client in a purposeful manner means a lot to me," he said.
Wang advises clients to view money as a tool to accomplish goals and often asks them to reflect honestly about their ambitions. "Having that background knowledge of what motivates them, I ask my clients, 'What is the higher purpose there? What gets them up and out of bed to go create more?'" he said. "I encourage them to use this tool to help achieve what their passions are."
For any student-athlete looking for a job in finance, Wang noted that identifying the right opportunity can lead to future fulfillment.
"I have found the most successful people in my industry coming directly out of college joined a team that had a clear path to growth," he said. "Leverage your alumni network to find a job. It's not going to be a perfect job but get in somewhere and use the work ethic you developed as a student-athlete to work hard." As the job market has changed for recent college graduates, Wang has also seen a change in his clients because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Real-time reassessments of people's priorities and changing work environments have altered financial planning, he said, noting, "I think it's been very healthy for people. I don't care if I'm earning more revenue. The clients I'm serving have a much more grounded perspective of what they want, and I love that."
For all the change he has seen, Wang stressed that his work is still driven by his people-first attitude.
"We're still having conversations with clients at critical moments in their lives, when they're really, truly evaluating their priorities," Wang said. "I got to know people so well over the last two years. At a much faster rate, people are more willing to talk about that stuff."
Creating a more fulfilling life for himself and his family has helped Wang guide his clients, too. A father of seven — including three foster children — Wang saw his move to Boise in 2013 as an opportunity to be closer to his in-laws and provide an opportunity for better work-life balance. Despite moving away from Whitworth, Wang still returns to reconnect with former swimmers, calling alumni weekends an absolute reunion. "A lot of guys only get that for four years, and I got that for 13."
Having spent more than a decade on a collegiate pool deck, Wang has seen his fair share of student-athletes. He encourages them to rely on the unique skills that are built over years of practice as they transition into the professional world.
"You are already prepped for the real world so much more than regular students at college," he said.
He added that he often looks to hire student-athletes because of their willingness to work hard and pursue excellence. Speaking from experience, he said, "We are always refining our craft to become better at our sport, to become better at our jobs or parenting or whatever happens to be. That is not a taught skill. It is learned and acquired."
Wang cautions those struggling to find a job to be optimistic and says finding the right job can be an incremental process.
"Set shorter-term goals and longer-term goals and find a way to make progress. Celebrate taking one step at a time," he said. "Ask for help. There's nothing I like more than getting to coach a former athlete through a process. I love giving back to the community that has fed me so much. It doesn't take a lot. An introduction can go a long way."