Capitalizing on a unique opportunity to interact with industry leaders in finance through a global forum and visit top investment companies, five students in the Big Red Investment Club (BRIC) traveled to New York City in early April with Dr. Glenn Williams, associate professor of practice in finance at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business. They joined more than 1,500 participants at the annual Quinnipiac University Global Asset Management Education (G.A.M.E.) Forum in New York City.
 
More than 160 universities and colleges from 45 countries and 47 states attended. Students who represented Nebraska included: John Dannenbring, junior finance major from Yankton, South Dakota; Annie Hua, senior finance major from Lincoln; Luke Schnacker, junior economics and finance major from Topeka, Kansas; Tiara Tingle, senior finance major from Brandon, South Dakota; and Xiaotian (Nathan) Zhang, senior mathematics major from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Co-sponsored by Nasdaq, the forum enables interaction among professionals, faculty and students as they attend panel discussions on global markets, corporate governance, the global economy and investment strategy, as well as participate in breakout discussions and workshops.
 
“The ‘Women in Finance’ breakout session gave me a chance to understand how some of the leaders got to where they are today. A lot of them talked about the importance of relationship building, both formally and informally,” Hua said. “The trip not only expanded my network within the financial industry, but gave me insight as to what companies look for in an applicant and how to differentiate yourself. A lot of applicants will have high GPAs, so having an organization like BRIC on your résumé and being able to explain its portfolio can show that you are able to apply what you know.”
 
The G.A.M.E. Forum concluded with three panels discussing career opportunities within the financial services industry.
 
“I enjoyed collaborating with established professionals and leaders in the field and discussing current economic and political events as they relate to the financial markets,” said Tingle, who serves as BRIC president. “It was an invaluable experience. For students who aspire to get into some of those competitive financial roles, it’s not all about talent or grades. Whether it’s starting to network with others in the field during freshman year instead of junior year, or using the summers between freshman and sophomore years for finance-related internships to enhance your résumé, getting those roles depends on one’s ability to plan ahead.”
 
During the five-day trip, the students also visited BlackRock and Goldman Sachs and toured the Statue of Liberty and the Museum of American Finance. In their free time, students had the opportunity to experience Broadway shows, Central Park, Chinatown, Little Italy and Times Square.
 
“The experience has given me a clear picture as to where I want to direct my future,” saidDannenbring. “Overall, my favorite part of the trip was our visit to BlackRock. I got to speak with a vice president of the company. The vice president is basically the face of BlackRock for clients and has to know what is going on in the company and be up-to-date with current events so they can explain those events and processes to clients. I’ve always wanted to combine my ability to socialize and my passion for investing.”
 
To learn more about BRIC, visit: business.unl.edu/current-students/organizations/#BRIC. Published: June 7, 2017