- Students manage a real investment portfolio: Established in 2019 with a $100,000 allocation from Molloy’s Board of Trustees, the fund allows students to research companies, pitch stocks and make investment decisions.
-
The portfolio has grown to approximately $270,000: Student investment ideas have contributed to the fund’s growth, including an early investment in Cintas that has gained more than 200%.
-
Students gain practical finance experience: Through stock pitches, research and collaboration, students develop investment knowledge, critical thinking and confidence while learning from economics professor Steve Kent.
For students interested in finance, few learning experiences can match investing real money in the stock market. At Molloy University, members of the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) do exactly that.
Established in 2019 through a $100,000 allocation from the University's Board of Trustees, the fund gives students the opportunity to research companies, pitch investment ideas, debate opportunities and ultimately manage a real investment portfolio. Under the guidance of economics professor Steve Kent, PhD, who previously worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs and served as chief economist for the Long Island Association, students gain hands-on experience that mirrors the work of professional investment managers.
"The idea for the Student Managed Investment Fund came from a student," Kent recalls, "who had a passion for the stock market. I advocated for it because investing real money, not a game, changes the tenor of the discussions. You can see both the negative and the positive hit the account."
For current student Tirth Patel, a finance major and treasurer of the club, that real-world experience is exactly what makes the fund unique.
"We're managing an actual portfolio and making real investment decisions," Patel said. "It gives students the opportunity to see how investing works beyond what you learn in a classroom."
One of the program's earliest success stories belongs to alumna Keara O'Driscoll '19, who joined the fund when it was first launched.
At Kent's encouragement, students were asked to identify companies they encountered in everyday life that the group should consider investing in. After brainstorming with family members who worked in hospitals, O'Driscoll suggested Cintas.
While many people recognized the company for uniforms and cleaning products, she saw how essential those services were across the healthcare industry.
She presented the stock to fellow SMIF members. After researching the company and discussing the opportunity, the student investment team voted to add Cintas to the portfolio.
The decision proved to be a remarkable one.
The fund purchased shares at approximately $71 per share. Today, the stock trades at more than $214 per share, representing a gain of more than 200%. Even more impressive, the fund has never sold its position.
"Keara followed one of Peter Lynch's most famous investing principles: 'Buy what you know,'" Kent said. "She recognized a trend from her own experience, did the research and had the confidence to present her findings."
The Cintas investment is just one example of how student-driven ideas have fueled the fund's success. Since its launch, the portfolio has grown from the original $100,000 investment to approximately $270,000.
Today's students continue that tradition. Patel recently pitched Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., citing the company's critical role in producing semiconductors that power artificial intelligence technologies.
Marcus Fasano, vice president of the club, pitched SanDisk after researching the growing demand for data storage. Fasano said the rise of artificial intelligence is creating a need for significantly greater storage capacity, making companies such as SanDisk worth considering as long-term investments. "We are living in an AI world," he said.
Beyond stock selection, students learn to defend their recommendations, collaborate with peers and understand the discipline required to manage long-term investments.
"I was very uncertain about what I wanted to do before I joined the club," Patel said. "Giving stock pitches and presenting to my peers gave me confidence and made me more certain about pursuing a career in finance."
Fasano said the experience helps students develop skills that extend beyond investing.
"We don't have $100,000 of our own to manage," he said. "Being able to learn with a real portfolio and actually see that growth happen has been pretty remarkable. It helps you understand investing in a way you can't get from a textbook.
Students benefit from learning alongside Kent, whose professional background helps bridge the gap between the classroom and the financial industry.
"It resembles a real job," Patel said. "We do the research and make recommendations, and Professor Kent helps guide the final decisions. It simulates what it's like working in the investment world."
Today, the Student Managed Investment Fund continues to provide Molloy students with a rare opportunity to apply classroom concepts in a meaningful way. By combining research, collaboration, critical thinking and hands-on portfolio management, the program helps prepare students for careers in finance while teaching lessons that can benefit them throughout their lives.
