Laker Asset Management Club visits Wall Street

Kristian Biega, News Editor

On April 2, The Laker Asset Management Club (LAM) had the opportunity to travel to Wall Street in New York City to attend meetings with large financial firms in order to gain hands-on experience with what life in today’s corporate world is really like.

The trip was initially an idea from the club so that its members could network and gain valuable experience for potential careers. Senior Accounting and Business Economics major Cleary Johnston coordinated the trip for LAM.

A club trip to Wall Street was a goal of LAM’s for a while, so the ability to make it happen was a great achievement for its members, especially the graduating seniors. Johnston and Grace Sloop, a senior Accounting and Economics major, commented on how “seamlessly the trip came together” as well, making for an even better experience for everyone.

“As a club we got the opportunity to talk to tenure professionals who have made a career doing what we inspire to do some day,” junior Business Competitive Intelligence major Arseniy Sklyarov said.

The group of Mercyhurst students attended meetings with corporate giants Goldman Sachs, BlackRock and Federated Investors that were both instructional and interactive.

“We were able to get a clear look into each company’s corporate culture and an expansive amount of information relating to their products, services and career advice,” Johnston said.

They were able to ask questions and gain insights into these business careers as they talked with senior members and professionals from all areas of the companies.

“The best part of the trip was getting career advice from the financial professionals who all continue to be extremely successful in their own careers. The view from the offices weren’t bad either — Goldman Sachs overlooked the Upper New York Bay and the Statue of Liberty,” Sloop said.

LAM members found the trip to be fun and a positive, educational experience that will help prepare them for their futures in business.

“The trip revealed both the highlights of such careers but also the obstacles that stand before us. I think I speak for the club when I say it was an eye-opening experience,” Sklyarov said.

The Laker Asset Management meets Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. in CAE 311.

LAM manages $100,000 of the school’s endowment and keeps up with all market trends, carefully researching the best outlets to invest in.