Thursday, April 17, 2008
Marc Mixon, Shawnee graduate, was sitting in Accounting 200 when he realized that it wasn’t enough just to go to class – he wanted to get involved in an extracurricular activity associated with his major.
Mixon, who completed his B.S. in finance in December, got involved by becoming a member of the Finance Club.
“I thought it was very enlightening,” Mixon said. “We had the chance to interact with some speakers that were high-profile people. (Club members are) afforded the opportunity to meet with some pretty extraordinary individuals.”
Members of the finance faculty help the club find speakers in fields like corporate finance, investment banking, money management and research. Mixon said the speakers are often alumni of the University of Kansas. Guest speakers tell students about their jobs and the hurdles they had to overcome and students are given the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speakers.
Mixon, who is now the club’s president, said the main perk of belonging to the Finance Club was the opportunity to network.
“We work very closely with our alumni and with the faculty here,” Mixon said.
He said jobs in the finance field were difficult because the University is not a school that the big investment banks normally recruit from. Connections, therefore, are extremely important. Mixon said some of the alumni have even been able to help students find jobs. The Finance Club gives students an advantage in finding internships, which are an essential part of a strong resume.
“Summer jobs related to finance make you look so much more attractive when you go out there in the job market. That’s really the number one benefit we offer,” Mixon said.
In addition to the tangible advantages of being a member, the Finance Club also gives students the opportunity to simply increase their knowledge of the field. Part of the club’s mission statement is to increase the financial literacy of the student body.
Nathan Davis, Topeka senior and the club’s vice president, said he joined the club because it allowed him to meet other students interested in finance and learn about what the field has to offer.
“I wanted to find a club or group that focused not only on learning, but also provided me the opportunity to be a leader and work on my speaking skills,” Davis said. “It’s a good group to join.”
Although most of the club’s members are finance, accounting or business majors, Davis said the club has been reaching out to non-traditional business students. Anyone can join regardless of major.
The $20 club dues per semester are well worth it, Davis said.
“It definitely pays for itself,” Davis said. “We have food and drinks at every meeting and we also host a bunch of social events. We have a lot of fun for $20.”
In early May, the Finance Club is taking a trip to the annual Berkshire-Hathaway meeting in Omaha.
“It’s considered kind of like Woodstock for capitalists,” said Mixon, who has attended for the previous two years. “Warren Buffet and his partner field questions for about six hours.”
The Finance Club’s final meeting is Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. in 427 Summerfield. For more information about the club, send an email to mixon.m@gmail.com.
—Edited by Madeline Hyden
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Finance club proves to be a lucrative extracurricular activity
Tell your Student Senator.... Cut the UDK's funding from student fees! It's not fair! I shouldn't pay for it!
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