Brian Walsh Jr. joins College Possible Philadelphia’s board as a Philadelphia native, holding a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Cabrini University. After completing his bachelor’s degree, Brian spent two years working as a police officer in Washington D.C. before transitioning into the financial services sector. After earning a master of business administration with a concentration in finance and portfolio management from Syracuse University, Brian joined his family firm Walsh & Nicholson Financial Group based in Wayne, Pa., where he currently works as a financial planner supporting individuals, families, and businesses with their financial planning needs.
Brian first learned of College Possible through his work on The Mainline Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Development Committee with current board member, Tony Lopes. During their time working together, Tony shared a little bit about College Possible and Brian was immediately interested. His prior work as a police officer had exposed him to the realities of underfunded education in urban areas and College Possible’s mission appealed to him. Brian shared,
“The overall level of commitment to the students’ full completion of their education is what resonates with me the most. When we talk about other nonprofits that do college access work, none of them follow through and complete the full journey through college with students … which is arguably the hardest part.”
Brian hopes to use the relationships he developed as a police officer and now as a professional in the financial services industry to champion College Possible in the local business community to help expand College Possible’s footprint in the Philadelphia region and promote internships and jobs for students after graduation. Reflecting on his commitment to College Possible, Brian notes, “I have a real passion and need for education. I want to help close the wealth gap and encourage people who come from underprivileged backgrounds to be proud of what they can accomplish.”
