Andrew Braithwaite

Classroom

Braithwaite holds an impressive 3.99 cumulative grade point average and a perfect 4.0 grade point average in his specialized coursework of finance and economics.  He has been a prominent figure on the Dean’s List and was awarded the Financial Executives International Boston Chapter 2009 Scholarship Award for Academic Excellence.  In addition to being awarded a full academic and athletic scholarship at Merrimack, Braithwaite was recognized as the Merrimack College Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2008 and has twice earned the Merrimack College Highest GPA Award in 2008 and 2009.  He was awarded the Collegiate All-American Scholar Award in 2007 and the Hockey East Scholar Athlete of the Year Award in 2007 and 2009. Braithwaite is a three-time Hockey East Academic All-Star from 2007-2009.  In the future, Braithwaite sees a life in the investing world.  Initially, he would like to start out at a reputable firm building the appropriate skills and knowledge bases in efforts to one day open his own fund.  Along the way, he looks to earn a master’s degree in business administration and become a Chartered Financial Analyst (which he has already started).

Character

During the summer, Braithwaite led efforts to improve non-profit business with a particular focus on endowments while spending time at Merrill Lynch.  He is an individual that players, coaches, faculty and staff will go to for insights on various topics ranging from classes to academic award processes for student-athletes.  Braithwaite was one of the few goalies in junior hockey to ever receive the honor of assistant captain.  Times were not always easy for Braithwaite as he overcame the obstacle of uncertainty in his efforts to achieve a hockey scholarship.  In his passion for hockey, he took some time off after high school to pursue a hockey scholarship.  It wasn’t until Braithwaite’s final year of junior hockey eligibility that he earned the scholarship he was hoping for.  After five years of junior hockey, quitting would have been easy, but that would have meant giving up on a dream.  Braithwaite’s work effort is demonstrated through his academic pursuits while still competing in a sport that requires a significant amount of time.  He is a double major and has taken up to seven classes in a single semester.  He is currently working on his CFA, which is extremely time consuming and completely self-taught, and is also studying for the GMAT.  Additionally, Braithwaite can be spotted overseeing the hockey team’s study hall and assisting teammates in their academic endeavors.  In his passion for the business world, he has also attended a “Thinking about Thinking” conference at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business as well as a conference on “Leadership IQ” put on by New York Times best-selling author Dr. Emmitt Murphy.  Braithwaite’s integrity is demonstrated on a daily basis.  He continuously helps out where needed and looks to make those around him better individuals.

Community

Braithwaite has participated in various community events such as the Walk of Hope for the Lazarus House.  He has also assisted Merrimack College in donor events, where it was not uncommon for him to speak on behalf of the school in efforts to improve alumni and donor relations.  In addition, through hockey, Braithwaite has participated in annual toy drives to ensure children have the best holiday season possible and has had a hand in numerous skates with fans to improve community enjoyment levels. He had the honor of playing for Team Canada at the inaugural World Jewish Hockey Championship in Israel.  The tournament was designed to bring energy and excitement to a nation that has been plagued by the ongoing struggles of war.  Braithwaite has demonstrated additional community involvement while playing junior hockey where he participated in shelter work, polar bear swims, and speaking to children about the importance of education.

Competition

Braithwaite was recognized four times as Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week in 2008 and was awarded Merrimack College Defensive Player of the Year that same season.  He holds the Merrimack College record for single season save percentage.  At the junior levels, Braithwaite was a two-time all-star and has the record for most regular season games played with more than 200 games to his credit.  As previously mentioned, he was a part of the World Jewish Hockey Championships with Team Canada, winning a bronze medal.