Road to Commencement: Elijah DeBooth

Major: Business

Graduation Date: May 9, 2026

MEDIA, Pa. — As Elijah DeBooth prepared to graduate on May 9, he reflected on his time at Brandywine and the experiences he had that shaped his college journey.

“Soccer originally drew me here, but I wanted to go to a school that was far from home but close enough to where I could go home when I wanted,” he said. “I’m from Reading, which is only about an hour away, so it worked out for me.”

During his time at Brandywine, DeBooth was a goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team, having a save average of nearly 80% and, on average, let up 0.94 goals per game in his career. In his final season of playing soccer for Brandywine, in 2024, he aided his team in becoming the first Brandywine sports program to make it to the postseason in the United East Conference.

Being on the soccer team helped shaped DeBooth into who he is today, giving him his best memories at Brandywine.

“Being on the soccer team helped me better my leadership skills, and I made lifelong friends,” he said. “My favorite memories at Brandywine consist of being with the guys on the team. We used to hang out in Parsons Hall all the time — it would be 15 of us sitting at a table, just chilling.”

One of his greatest accomplishments, DeBooth said, was making it to the national championship his first year at Brandywine.

“In my first year at Brandywine, my team won the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division II National Championship game. That was probably my greatest accomplishment during my time here,” he said.

During his time at Brandywine, DeBooth had an internship at Construction Master Services in Reading. In his role as a marketing intern, he took photos at different construction sites and called potential clients about the company’s services.

“One of my friends back home helped me get this internship. His mom is the marketing director of Construction Master Services, so when I was looking for an internship, she helped me out,” he said.

DeBooth said his time at Construction Master Services helped prepare him for full-time work, getting him used to looking the part and getting into a routine.

“This internship really helped me learn what it’s like to work in a corporate setting. I not only had to work at a desk, but I also had to look the part, get up early and work corporate hours,” he said. “It was like a steppingstone to get me where I need to go.”

Upon graduating from Brandywine, DeBooth will be starting a full-time job as a retirement plan services representative at Vanguard. In this role, he will be answering client phone calls and responding to any questions they have about their retirement accounts.

DeBooth noted the most valuable lesson he learned during his time at Brandywine was the importance of asking for help.

“Everybody needs help every once in a while. I feel like I’ve always been a ‘do it myself’ type of guy, but it’s OK to ask for help whether it’s from professors or someone else,” he said. “Asking for help is really important.”