Students at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics have almost 30 unique student groups that they can choose to join. In each installment of this series, an executive member of one of these student groups will share their first-hand experience choosing, participating in and eventually leading their group.
Will Haskell, Class of 2022 finance and operations management major, is the president of the Blue Hen Investment Club at the Lerner College. Haskell shared why he joined the Blue Hen Investment Club, what makes this group unique and more!
Lerner: When and why did you choose to join this student group?
Haskell: Coming into Lerner I knew that I had a passion and aptitude for investing. Fortunately, as I was looking for the best way to meet other students with the same passion, a few of my friends told me about the Blue Hen Investment Club. I decided to apply and eventually received the opportunity to join the club in the spring of 2019.
Lerner: What is the mission/goal of your student group?
Haskell: The mission of the Blue Hen Investment Club is to provide a valuable educational experience to its members by allowing them to manage a real dollar investment portfolio. Through rigorous training and hands-on experience, members learn about the most important aspects of finance and investing, while developing strong teamwork, public speaking and analytical skills. This experience is facilitated through the fund’s weekly meetings, sector meetings, trainings, workshops and guest speakers.
Lerner: When and where does your student group meet and approximately how many members do you have?
Haskell: We hold weekly full-club meetings from 5 – 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Each member of the club also has one sector meeting per week at different times depending on the sector they are a part of. Traditionally, we have our meetings in the Geltzeiler Trading Center but this semester all of our meetings will be held virtually. Our club has just under 50 members.
Lerner: What is your best memory from this student group?
Haskell: My favorite memories as a member of the Blue Hen Investment Club have been the long days and late nights spent in the Geltzeiler Trading Center doing research with other club members.
Lerner: What is unique about your student group?
Haskell: We are one of the few fully student-run investment clubs in the country. The opportunity to get hands-on experience managing more than three million of the University’s Endowment Fund as a college student is a tremendous honor.
Lerner: What has been your proudest moment leading your student group?
Haskell: It is always extremely rewarding to see members succeed professionally and to know that the Blue Hen Investment Club has played a role in getting them to that point.
Lerner: What are your goals for the future of your student group?
Haskell: One of our main goals is to provide the education, experience and opportunities that allow our members to succeed professionally after graduation. Ultimately, while many of our members go on to work for great companies in exclusive roles, I would love to see the club gain even more exposure to the most elite finance jobs available.
Lerner: How has your student group helped you grow?
Haskell: I have learned an incredible amount about finance, investing and accounting throughout my time in the club. With that said, the Blue Hen Investment Club has allowed me to make even greater strides towards becoming a better public speaker and communicator.