As a young freshman in the fall of 2003, Anthony Humphrey ’07 had no idea that his DeLaSalle education would lead him to a successful career, rewarding volunteerism, and his future wife. An astute and discerning eighth grader, Anthony recalls “I was drawn to the tradition, and had always thought of DeLaSalle as the pinnacle of education. Many of the Ascension Catholic School students two and three years ahead of me were there and when I asked them about their school they would say ‘I go to DeLaSalle!’ I remember that they would say it with pride, with their chest. I wanted what they had and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

Now a successful investment banker at Craig-Hallum Capital Group, Anthony admits that he wasn’t always the best student. He recalls many a day in the principal’s office and muses that it’s possible that he tried the patience of more than one of his instructors. “I was a typical teenage boy. I had a lot of energy. I talked too much. But, my teachers were all so understanding, and I responded really well to their expectations and structure.” Perhaps no class was more rigorous than Brother David Barth’s Comparative Religions. Anthony regards it as one of the toughest classes he has ever taken, including those at Augsburg University, where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a finance emphasis. “Comparitive Religions was a required course and everyone knew how tough it was. Even though it was difficult, it ended up being the class I remember most, because it taught us how to interpret text and to think critically.”

Catholic school, Anthony reflects, is about so much more than the academic coursework. It’s also about fostering the development of kindness and equipping students with soft skills like empathy, community involvement, timeliness, and shaking people’s hands while looking them in the eye. These skills have served him well in his career in investment banking. “All of my clients are hedge fund managers, primarily in New York. I have a direct line to Wall Street and help manage a lot of money. The decisions I make affect the future of companies and the stability of their employees. It’s stressful; every minute counts. I love it.”

Anthony balances out all of that pressure by giving back. He has been very active with the Bieber Family Foundation, a group dear to his heart. “Bill Bieber was a monumental person in my life. He sponsored me to go to high school and his mentorship got me into banking. We became great friends; I even proposed to my fiancee, Serena Carr ’07 at his ranch.” Although they didn’t date in high school, Anthony and Serena were good friends while on the Island. Serena, who is a recruiter for the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management was the second person he ever met at DeLaSalle. It all started in Ms. Westphal’s English class in first hour on the first day of school. Because of the way that
the aisles wrapped around for the seating chart, they were right next to each other.

Lending his expertise to the school he feels gave him so much, Anthony has served for the last 6 years on DeLaSalle’s Finance Committee, a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees. It’s a role that he is proud to hold andone he takes as seriously as his day job. “The way I look at it, DeLaSalle is a hidden gem. Guys like me from a single- parent, modest upbringing can learn skills here that take them to heights unavailable to the average person. Not everything is fair, but we can slightly level the playing field. My job on the Finance Committee is to ensure that, from a financial standpoint, the school is protected and can continue on for another 100 years. It takes money, though. You can’t fake technology. You can’t fake great teachers. You can’t fake upgrades to the facilities. You have to pay for it. In order for our students to be the best, we have to give them the best. Bottom line."