Hackley School Field Trip to NYC Brings Finance to Life
On April 19, 2022 students in Mr. Sykes’ Advanced Topics in Economics class ventured into NYC for a day of learning about finance. The students had three extraordinarily interesting and unique experiences.
First, the group attended a panel discussion at Goldman Sachs featuring ten Hackley alumni from the Classes of 2007 - 2017 who spoke about their paths to a career in finance and the work they’re doing now for the firm. In addition to learning about a variety of career paths in finance, which included some great advice about having fun in college and taking the classes that interest you most, the group received a tour of the building. Dave and his students are grateful to all the panelists and especially to Liz Hirsch ’07 for organizing the panel and providing the tour.
Following their time at Goldman Sachs, the group headed to midtown for a visit with Hackley Trustee Dawn Fitzpatrick P ’22, ’24, ’28, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Soros Fund Management LLC. Fitzpatrick gave the group an insider tour of the office and then facilitated a fascinating conversation around the work that the fund does. Using relevant real world examples (including recent news about Twitter), Fitzpatrick and a colleague provided an excellent window into merger arbitrage.
Finally, the students went to the New York Stock Exchange. Hosted by Jan van Eck ’81, P ’14, ’17, ’17, ’26, Chief Executive Officer of VanEck, the group learned about the history of the exchange and was able to visit the floor for the closing bell before heading to a conference room for a talk van Eck delivered. His presentation was interesting, engaging, and insightful. He covered a wide range of topics, including ETFs, climate change, disruptive technology, capitalism, and why it is important for investors to understand history. van Eck also spoke about his career path and how he found his way to finance after forays into several other careers. He too reinforced the importance of taking classes of personal interest at Hackley and in college.
Overall, the day was a real treat for everyone involved; not only did the students have a great time, but they learned a great deal about finance and so much more. Two common, non-financial themes that were continuously reinforced throughout the day were: Hackley is an amazing place providing its students with a top-notch education that will prepare them well for college and beyond; the power of the Hackley network—whether alumni or parents, Hackley folks love helping other Hackley folks.
Advanced Topics in Economics students reflect on their class trip to New York
“Through listening to our guest speakers’ experiences and thoughts about their college and career experience, I learned the value of studying new things and trying new areas of finance. I came to better appreciate how investment banking can lead to work in a hedge fund, and how all of them find joy in their work — whether through social interaction and relationships or keeping up with political and financial news; simply knowing unique things about diverse areas and fields can lead to greater impact in a team and networking setting, as many of our Hackley alums shared with us.”
- Advith Sharma ’23
“This trip was an incredibly eye-opening experience. It gave us a lens to understand the many different facets of a career in finance. One quite interesting aspect of the trip was our spontaneous journey over to Soros Fund Management. Once there we were walked through a major potential trade by a trader that specialized in corporate buyouts. This was especially relevant because of the current Elon Musk acquisition of Twitter. The trip highlighted to me how macroeconomic thinking could be applied to different careers in capital management.”
-Mason Napach ’23
“I really enjoyed hearing from the alums at Goldman Sachs and especially hearing how they all pursued different majors and interests in college, but still now work in finance. This also taught me the importance of hard work and networking and how applicable these general skills are in the real world. I also learned so much about all of the different roles in the finance industry which makes it even more interesting to me! I also loved learning about the NYSE and the history behind it, and also learning how important history is for working in finance (or any job really). Seeing the trading floor up close was an amazing experience. It was really amazing to be able to get an inside perspective of an industry I've always found really interesting, but can't exactly get exposed to in school, so this trip was really invaluable.”
-Phoebe Naughton ’22
“I think understanding just a small fraction of the various positions that exist in the finance world is extremely valuable. Understanding the path to a place like Goldman and the hours involved definitely impacted my thoughts on working in finance. While at the moment I think I want to be a doctor, my trip into the city emphasized my interest in finance and caused me to consider working in the medical sector of a bank or fund.”
-Maya Miller ’22
“I was impressed and surprised to hear from almost EVERY employee we talked to about their career/academic path that they did not necessarily study economics or finance in college to land a job on Wall Street. Some studied art history, english, history, and more often than not the person who majored in economics undergrad was a minority out of the group of their colleagues. If I want to pursue a job on Wall Street, I'm not boxed in to taking one business-focused academic path and I really liked to hear that that flexibility was an option.”
-Skyler Safriet ’22
“I think the trip definitely changed my perspective on finance and more specifically what you can study in college and still be able to work in finance. Many of the Goldman employees did not study econ or finance in college and actually think that it gave them an advantage for being selected for an internship, while they did say they may have initially been a little behind they all said overall they were thankful for what they had studied in college and felt it gave them a more unique perspective. I think this has pushed me to pursue more of what I love to study in college.”
-Callum Stewart-Wood ’22