Breaking the cycle: Lindner finance student aims to inspire others

Poverty and homelessness dotted his childhood in and around Dayton, Kentucky, where drugs and gang activity were ever present. Hopper’s parents, neither of whom finished high school, divorced when he was in grade school. His first job was at age 14.

“I had to grow up a little bit faster than some others had to,” the second-year finance student in Lindner's College of Business said.

Despite life’s obstacles, Hopper simply “gets it,” according to Mike Neugent, associate professor-educator of finance and director of the MS Finance program.

“Some students just have an intuitive understanding of how things work. He seems to have that, and he has that coupled with the drive to succeed. And he’s not going to let things stand in his way.” 

Hopper is quick to credit a handful of mentors, notably during his high school days, for keeping him on an upward trajectory, including those who lent him shelter and cheered him on during sporting events. One mentor encouraged Hopper to apply to the University of Cincinnati.

“I took his word, ran with it and haven’t looked back since. I don’t regret the decision at all,” said Hopper.

During his initial days and months at UC, Hopper was stuck in a mental cycle of comparison, which whittled away at his self-confidence.

“I was losing the joy of myself and my potential, because comparison is a thief of all joy. I had to get out of my own headspace and realize that I’m different.” 

Intent on getting involved but short on knowledge of career opportunities in finance, Hopper connected with two student organizations: Lindner Finance Club and Lindner Investment Banking Club.

“Although I recall Landyn being a little shy and unsure, I had never seen such resilience in an 18-year-old,” said Susan Bailey, Hopper’s then-career advisor. “I quickly realized that Landyn was used to working very hard and he was okay with taking the unpopular route to get to where he needed to go. I remember him saying that he wanted to ‘break the cycle.’ He wanted to be the first member of his family to graduate from college.”

During the second semester of his first year, Hopper pursued the atypical path of enrolling in FIN 3080: Business Finance, a course primarily comprised of second-year students.

“He was in class every day. He was engaged. He asked questions. He would come to my office and say, ‘I don’t really understand this. How does it work?’” Neugent said. “He took responsibility for his education. Learning is not passive; it’s active. You must participate to learn — and he did.”

Hopper has taken the lead on his own experiential learning. He accompanied his Business Finance classmates to New York City for a study away experience, networking at Blackstone, Jefferies and S&P Global.

Hopper is the first UC student to acquire a fellowship with Access Distributed, a professional development program that helps students land finance-oriented internships and co-ops. In January, Hopper’s Access Distributed cohort visited Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business for an in-person bootcamp that consisted of networking, career exploration, team bonding and a case competition.

“Landyn didn’t come from a high school or environment where he had much experience with networking or making personal connections,” Bailey said. “But, again, he’s not afraid of rejection. I think he’d say that it’s a reason why he got the Access Distributed fellowship. The executive director knew him by name because of his consistent and professional communication.”

Now a finance intern with GE Aerospace, Hopper will move on to a co-op experience with Artisan Investment Banking as a summer analyst. In addition to his full-time co-op this spring semester, Hopper has weekly three-hour calls with Access Distributed. He estimates he sends 150 “cold emails” per week seeking to network with industry professionals.

“I would tell any employer that they would be fortunate to have him,” said Neugent. 

In the meantime, Hopper plans to keep seizing his opportunities, and to serve as a model for prospective and current students who hail from similar circumstances.

“For people who come from an underdog background, hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard,” said Hopper.

Featured image: Landyn Hopper in the Johnson Investment Lab at Lindner Hall. Photos/Suzanne Buzek.