Students to Visit New York Stock Exchange
October 19, 2017
A busload of Hudson Valley students, many of whom are in the college's student Investment Club, will travel to visit the New York Stock Exchange next Friday, Oct. 27, for an up-close look at Wall Street.
Club advisor and faculty member Joe Stenard, will accompany the group, which now numbers more than 50 students. Entrepreneurs Club advisor Jodi Mather and honors faculty mentor Marina Gore will also be joining in. Transportation for the trip is being provided by Student Activities.
The visit was, in part, arranged through alumnus Josh Carroll, who is studying at Quinnipiac University and interning in a Wall Street investment firm. Carroll works with Peter P. Costa, a former governor of the New York Stock Exchange, who is scheduled to lead the group's tour.
"You turn on CNBC and you'll see Peter Costa as an on-air market analyst," said Stenard. "It is gracious of him to host our students for this rare opportunity."
Stenard, who has helped build the Investment Club into one of the most active student organizations on campus, said the students are excited and have lots of questions ready for Costa. "We have some enthusiastic club members and they're excited about this trip," he said.
Three years ago, the Investment Club successfully appealed to the college Foundation to oversee and invest a small portion of the Foundation's fund. It's likely that Hudson Valley is the first two-year college in the country to have students manage a portion of the college Foundation's endowment.
The club meets every Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Brahan 104, and new members are always welcome. Meetings can center on the merits of buy, sell or hold options for its portfolio of 12 stocks. If a member succeeds in convincing a super majority of those present on a move, it gets done.
Stenard said the real benefit of the club is financial literacy. The club's investment strategies are teaching real world lessons about the financial industry, but they're also paying off for the college's Foundation. "We're getting a positive return for the Foundation. In the past year, we've had a 20 percent return on our investment," he said.