A LASTING LEGACY!
Submitted on June 23, 2026
BRANDON LAWSON ‘11
By Betty Bone ‘00, Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing
Brandon Lawson ’13, a Georgetown native, built a successful career in accounting and sales. His grit, determination, and perseverance began with his family and carried over to the football field. Now those characteristics are helping him build a legacy of giving.
Lawson transferred from the University of Kentucky in his sophomore year to play football under Coach Bill Cronin. While at UK, he would visit his friend Joey Valdez ’11, who was playing at GC. They played together from middle school through high school. Valdez encouraged him to meet with Coach Cronin, which led to Lawson’s transfer.
As the first in his family to attend college, Lawson owes a lot to his parents and grandparents for laying the foundation that “put me in the position to have the opportunity to go to school. They taught me a strong work ethic and the value of sacrifice. All of that led to where I am now. I didn’t do this on my own; my community poured into me.”
That work ethic translated to the practice field at GC, where Lawson found a brotherhood and an energy that drove him. Together, they worked to get better with every practice. “Getting ready for the playoffs junior year, we were practicing, and I was talking a lot, really getting into the offense’s head. If I did something well, they were going to hear about it. We were doing 7 on 7 and 1 on 1s with the receivers—a receiver called me out, it was the last play, and I broke it up, and the defense went crazy. It was just one of those high-energy moments. At the end of the day, the team got better,” shared Lawson.
At the beginning of his senior year, Lawson injured his knee. After rehabbing to pursue a professional football career, he had a life-changing conversation with Coach Cronin. Cronin said, “You are super intelligent. You can chase this for the next five years and maybe end up on a team, or you can get a jump start on your career and use your brain instead of your body to make money.” For Lawson, it was “the most upsetting, humbling, best advice I have ever received. I am forever grateful that he had the courage to tell me that to my face.”
Lawson walked out of that meeting with a new mindset and goal. His first stop was to GC President William Crouch, who helped him get an internship at Toyota. Then he visited the GC Center for Calling and Career, where Center Director Holly James ’87 helped him obtain multiple internships, build a LinkedIn profile when the platform was brand new, and position himself to be competitive for an entry-level position. Lawson can’t recommend the Center for Calling and Career enough to students, “Holly guided me, shepherded me in the right direction that led to my first full-time position after graduation,” said Lawson.
After graduation, Lawson went to California, where he worked as an accountant before moving into pharmaceutical sales. He earned his MBA from the University of Southern California. He then entered technology sales, working for IBM and its entire portfolio. His work in the technology industry was financially rewarding, but it also came at a cost to his family with extensive travel required. Lawson took a leap of faith and chose family over money, leaving IBM without his next position lined up.
The network Lawson started building while at Georgetown led to a position at Eisai, a Japanese-based human health care company. As an oncology sales professional specializing in renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma medications, he now has more time for his family and an impactful career.
In sales, Lawson’s ability to dig in and ask why sets him apart. To be the best, he continues to educate himself about the products he sells and the needs of his clients. Knowing ‘the why’ helps him tailor the best solutions for clients.
Lawson and his employer, Eisai, share a philanthropic ethos. The company prioritizes giving back and recently, Lawson and his team volunteered at Gilda’s Club, named for Comedian Gilda Radner, the nonprofit provides support for people impacted by cancer.
Lawson’s belief in giving back led him to create an endowed scholarship at GC. The Brandon Lawson Scholarship provides support for books and meals to prevent financial barriers that could prevent a student from graduating. The scholarship is small at the moment, but his goal is to grow the endowment to eventually cover full tuition for multiple students each year.
Along with his scholarship, Lawson believes that “the true value of a place is the people who are there. And it’s the relationships you build with people that will essentially give your life character and value.”
This belief in people is also where he sees his future. He believes he is “built to run a business” and to lead people. His investment in his own education and career, and his mindset of “being big on not giving people a reason to say ‘No’” mean that when an opportunity presents itself, he’ll be ready.
If you would like to help Lawson’s scholarship endowment grow, visit gogc.me/give and simply type Brandon Lawson Scholarship in the support field, or mail a check to 400 East College Street, Georgetown, KY 40324. Lawson is the first Black GC alum to establish an endowed scholarship at GC, establishing a lasting legacy at his alma mater.
For more great stories like Lawson's, read the Spring 2026 Issue of GC Moments: The Georgetown College Alumni Magazine.
