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Shane Girolamo had an idea for a stock to pitch. The second-year finance and computer science student built a presentation, ran the numbers through a discounted cash flow model, pulled data from Bloomberg terminals, and laid out his case to a room full of students. Real-world financial management experience is what gives RIT students a leg up when it comes to investing in stocks, handling portfolios, and working with clients. As members of the university’s Financial Management Association , students of all majors have the unique opportunity to manage a portion of RIT's endowment—a portfolio that has grown from approximately $100,000 in 2010 to nearly $450,000 today, guided entirely by the students. “It’s real, tangible money,” said Owen Cavo, a fourth-year finance and management information systems student and FMA president. “That’s pretty much the core of the club.” ‌ Provided Members of RIT's Financial Management Association visit the New York Stock Exchange during a trip to New York City, where the club competes in finance competitions and connects with alumni and industry professionals. A typical meeting in the Saunders College of Business Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics opens with a market news segment, where anyone can discuss something from the week’s business headlines. From there, the agenda might include a financial workshop, a guest speaker from industry, or a full stock pitch , complete with structured Q&A and a tiered vote. After the meeting ends, members often stay to continue networking. “People are really interested in the topics,” said Rachel O'Connor, a fourth-year global business management student and club’s vice president, who has attended meetings since her first year. “We try to structure our meetings so that people can get involved, because they’re very curious.” That engagement has drawn students from well beyond Saunders’ finance students. About 20 to 30 percent of the club’s membership comes from engineering, computing, and other technical disciplines, and Hao Zhang , finance professor and the director of BS-Finance and MS-Finance programs, says that crossover is growing. In recent months, several computing students have approached Zhang looking for a domain where their technical skills can intersect with data-rich, analytically demanding work. “Computing plus finance is a powerful combination,” said Zhang. This synergy is evident in student teams competing in experiential-learning opportunities such as the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge and the CFA Research Challenge , where students with finance and technical backgrounds collaborate successfully. He has since begun connecting computing students with FMA — including one who is using AI tools to dig into corporate financial filings — bringing new perspectives into the club's work. “There are a lot of skills that you’re not going to learn in the classroom,” Cavo said. “The most important part of the club is being able to help younger students figure out what they want to do with their careers.” Zhang, who has advised FMA for nearly 15 years, sees the club as a bridge connecting colleges and disciplines, and linking the classroom to the working world. “It’s beneficial for everyone to learn more about finance, whether they are managing a retirement account, a savings account, or their daily spending,” he said. “Through the club’s activities, our students are getting the education and hands-on experience early enough to make a difference when they get into the real world.”