This week’s Wentcher Spotlight is on one of our newest board members, Robert Slay.
A Chicago Lawn native, Robert has been working as an internal auditor for the past seven years.
Currently working for Google, Robert’s career as an internal auditor has afforded him some very adventurous experiences. Through his job Robert has been able to immerse himself in other cultures, and gain a worldly perspective through travel. We asked Robert where his job has taken him, and the list was extensive. His business travels have taken him to places such as Amsterdam, Poland, London, Paris, and Mexico City, where experienced about five earthquakes! Robert says that in the future he hopes to do more domestic travel. New York City is first on his list.
Outside of travel, Robert loves that his job is constantly offering him a new challenge. Each day is different and the projects he’s asked to take on cover a wide range of topics in the realm of auditing.
Beyond his role as an auditor, Robert says he thoroughly enjoys his new role as a Board Member for the Wentcher Foundation.
Robert became a Wentcher Scholar in 2009 after he graduated from the Curie Metropolitan’s IB Program. He became an alumnus of the program in 2013 when he graduated from DePaul University, where he double majored in accounting and financed with a concentration in internal audit.
After graduating, Robert decided that he wanted to pay it forward and become very involved in the success of the Wentcher Foundation. He volunteered to read scholar applications, conducted interviews, and joined the Wentcher Task Force to find ways to help students. After working on the Task Force for about a year, in 2020 Robert was asked to become a Board Member.
When asked what his favorite part of being a Board Member is, Robert has a lot to share! He enjoys getting to know students and helping to implement new changes that help students excel in college. Most of all, he enjoys being able to participate in helping students in financial need pursue their dreams without financial restraint.
As a word of advice to students, Robert stresses the importance of being involved on campus in order to gain perspective outside of academics. He says “not only does it look good, you get to learn a lot about life and yourself. Also, you get a chance to make strong connections that can last a lifetime!” He also advises students to continue to be their best selves by continuously challenging themselves and not allowing other people’s opinions to impact their decisions.
When Robert is not auditing or attending to his Board Member duties, he is running, spending quality time with his loved ones, admiring the solar system, and grilling, even in the winter time. He’s also listening to music. We asked Robert what you can find in his queue, and he gave us a wide variety of artists. From Drake, to Calvin Harris, to the Fray, Robert’s got taste!
We are so lucky to have Robert as one of the newest additions to our Board and we look forward to seeing him create a lasting impact on the Wentcher Foundation.
Author: Nia Harris
Currently living in NYC, Nia Harris is a NYU graduate and Fulbright Scholar working for the Wentcher Foundation as the Program Associate. She writes for her own blog, Nashari which you can find here.