Never finished college — a finance pro with ADHD on how she built a nontraditional career

Whitney Valentine-Wafer has ADHD and never finished college. Yet she’s served as chief financial officer for several organizations and built a career as a nonprofit finance professional. Her journey includes employers like Creative Commons and the San Francisco Ballet. Whitney shares how she was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult — and how she found her way despite being fired from several jobs in her 20s. She says the key to her path was reflecting on what worked and what didn’t work for her brain. Hear her career advice, including why she says temping can be a great way to try out different work roles. 

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. 

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at thatjob@understood.org. 

Related resources

• See a list of famous business people with learning differences and ADHD.
• Hear the story of a real estate agent with ADHD who loves her work.
• Learn about different paths after high school.

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