What started as a proposal from the Students of Finance Association (SOFA) to ETSU President Brian Noland has grown into a partnership giving students access to real investment funds.
Last year, students Yusuf Sulaiman, Milind Chaturvedi, Gavin Conway and Hunter Turgeon approached Noland with a formal proposal to establish a student investment fund. Now, their efforts are paying off with two student-managed funds: The Citizens Bank Fund and The LaPorte Fund.
The primary faculty advisor for the partnership, Dr. William J. Trainor, anticipates a variety of benefits resulting from the investment funds. He says managing “real money, not just a theoretical portfolio,” will “create a better learning process” for students. By starting from ground zero, the students have freedom to explore different investment options and gain real-world experience.
One of the investment funds will be managed in Trainor’s applied equity course. The other fund will be managed by SOFA under Trainor’s supervision.
Trainor has exciting expectations for the funds, estimating that they could be worth more than $1 million in 20 years. As the investment funds grow, profits taken out will mainly fund further investment opportunities, ETSU’s Center for Study of Finance and potential scholarships.
Throughout the year, students managing the funds will report on their progress to Citizens Bank and the LaPortes. This gives students the chance to demonstrate their knowledge and apply it in a practical way, and is also a great chance to network with professionals in the finance industry.
Trainor said that networking opportunities will be “very beneficial” to students pursuing careers in the industry.
By connecting with professionals, students managing funds will gain presentation skills, industry-related experience and connections that will benefit them long after graduation.
Trainor sees a trend in students becoming more “internal” since the pandemic, and less connected to professional opportunities and training. Opportunities like the investment funds not only allow students to gain experience, but help them become better equipped individuals as they pursue careers in the future.
Some larger universities had already pursued student-led investment funds, leading SOFA to desire the same opportunity for ETSU.
“This is a big step for us to join them,” Trainor said.
As the partnership continues and students manage funds, opportunities for growth and success abound.
Students are welcome to learn more about the investment funds by contacting Trainor at trainor@etsu.edu. Those interested in managing these investment funds or learning more about the process can stay up-to-date through SOFA’s Instagram @etsusofa.
