Few learning experiences are more hands-on, more real world, than managing actual money.
And members of Union’s Student Investment Fund are doing just this – with over $1 million (a milestone the fund just recently reached).
“A 2022 survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers found that there are about 600 student investment funds across the country with a median balance of about $800,000,” said Tomas Dvorak, who is the David L. ’39 and Beverly B. Yunich Professor of Business Ethics and co-advisor of Union’s fund. “One million dollars is a very meaningful amount of money and the decisions that students make have real consequences.
Curtis Butler ’90 recently spoke with members of the Student Investment Fund. Butler, who studied economics at Union, spent more than 30 years in analyst and investment roles, including with J.P. Morgan and Jennison Associates. He is founder of Guided Ascent Career Coaching and has volunteered his time advising Union students for many years.
“This contributes to the excitement of being part of the fund, as well as to the sense of real responsibility.”
Indeed, the fund’s 50 members oversee everything from selecting and managing investments to participating in governance calls of the companies owned by the fund to completing analysis for current and new investments.
“No one will hire a graduate because they can recite facts or formulas – a smartphone can do that,” Dvorak said. “Union graduates will be hired because they can solve problems, think critically and collaborate. The fund is a great place to practice these skills.”
Case in point, Veronica Lopez ’25. An economics major who is minoring in math, she was co-president of the fund during the 2023-24 academic year.
“I secured the job I wanted through upperclass mentors I met in the fund, and through what the fund has taught me – how to do research on specific sectors and securities; how to network with peers and professionals in my industry of interest; and how to be confident speaking in a room of 50 peers,” she said. “I will be working at JP Morgan Private Bank in California as a banking analyst, starting in August.”
Haba-Baruch Kiiza ’25, who was co-president with Lopez, has learned a lot, too.
“I am determined to pursue a career on Wall Street and I knew I would gain skills I need by joining the Student Investment Fund,” said the math and economics major. “I’ve developed essential interview preparation skills, both on the behavioral and technical fronts. I’ve learned how to compile a comprehensive stock pitch and I’ve gained valuable experience in organizing events and selecting speakers that would benefit the fund.”
The fund isn’t just for economics students, either. One of its primary objectives is to provide experiential learning opportunities across the social sciences, sciences, engineering and humanities.
The current co-president, Hunter Gould ’26, is a math and computer science major who contributes quantitative strategies to the fund. Biology major Alex Lim ’28 helps evaluate biotech and healthcare sectors for potential investment. And Jack Fitzgerald ’26, a mechanical engineer, is part of the fund’s utilities, energy and industrials sector.
“There are opportunities for everyone,” said Dvorak. “For example, we need a visual artist or graphic designer to help make our materials look professional. Such designs could become part of a visual arts student’s portfolio that showcases their ability to work with a client.”
“We also need more humanities majors,” he added. “We need them to help us be good stewards of the assets we own.”
This is especially important since fund income is used to benefit students.
Proceeds are used to purchase reference materials and electronic resources (like the Bloomberg terminal subscription), help students attend conferences, finance travel and establish internships.
The fund, of which economics professors Prateek Arora and Zachary Rodriguez are co-advisors, was established in 1986 by a gift from Heinz and Ruthe Eppler, parents of Nancy Eppler Wolff ’75 and David Eppler ’82.