One of our newest Board members, Trevor Freeland is no stranger to breaking barriers.

His first accomplishment was being the first African American to ever win an ACC Championship in swimming. Today, he is Managing Director of Deutsche Bank, where he has worked for 26 years. Trevor runs and manages the relationships with some of the firm’s biggest and most important clients on a global basis, maintaining some of the strongest client relationships. All of this while being the first African American in Deutsche Bank’s training program, and the first to ever become Managing Director.

His accomplishments and his drive, he says, grow from his early experience as a swimmer.

When he began to learn to swim in the early 70s, Black children were still not allowed to swim in the same pools as White children in the United States. At times, pools would go as far to drain the water in between swims to maintain segregation.

After hearing of a program with a good reputation, Trevor’s mom, Ernestine, brought him to the Philadelphia Department of Recreation where the now-famous coach, Jim Ellis worked.  It was there that, Trevor says, Ellis and his mother helped sculpt and form his value system, how he thinks, and his work ethic. He joined Ellis’ team as an original member, later called PDR Swimming – one of the most dominant age group swimming programs in the entire country. The impressive team was made up of numerous national champions, age-group record holders, national team members and Olympic Trial Qualifiers. It was also one of the first predominantly Black swim teams in the country, whose story has since become immortalized in the film, “PRIDE.”

“We didn’t think of ourselves as being any different than the teams we swam against. We knew that, we were cognizant of that, but at the end of the day, we were there to get in the lane, swim in the same water that everyone else swam in, and get to the wall before they did,” Trevor said.

After being recruited by the University of Virginia by Mark Bernardino to swim with their program and study Systems Engineering, he went on to get his MBA from Duke and pursue his career in finance. “I took the tenacity, the work ethic, the drive and resilience I learned in swimming to Wall Street and just applied it,” he said.

He wears his position with Finance and Wall Street with pride, specifically as a Senior Managing Director. “In order to bring change, we must show others examples of that change, how it can impact everyone’s lives and make things better, creating an even more fulfilling work environment,” he said. “It is my biggest hope that my actions are helping to create many more opportunities for others like me on an exponential scale to continue to change the racial makeup and footprint within Wall Street, increasing diversity to levels and concentrations we have never seen before.”

Trevor credits his mother, Ellis’ guidance, and the skills he learned as a swimmer as the foundation of his success today. “I learned the benefits of hard work and maintaining high levels of integrity and discipline as you perfect your craft,” he said.

Today, Trevor is channeling his focus into something new as well – wishes. He recently joined our Board of Directors to bring his expertise and support through fundraising and supporting chapter events and strategic initiatives, helping us get closer to our goal of granting a wish to every eligible child.

“The sheer essence of what Make-A-Wish stands for and hopes to accomplish is riveting,” he said. “A wish is extremely impactful and game-changing for those that need it most – children who have had the cards stacked against them in some way, shape or form.”

Trevor will also help guide our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, so we can grant life-changing wishes to EVERY eligible child, and to continually examine our policies to ensure that ALL children are served equitably. “I am honored and thankful to be on the Board. I hope to help expand the reach of this organization to all families in need.”