Attending the summer Investments, Financial Planning and You (IFPY) program at UCI provided a fantastic first-hand experience of the intricacies of finance. UCI business professors passionately explained complex concepts, making them accessible to young minds like myself.
For two weeks every year, the UCI Paul Merage School of Business opens its doors to high schoolers, future business leaders, helping them develop essential skills in leadership, financial literacy, and strategic thinking. There, students can learn how education in investments and financial planning can empower the next generation to achieve economic independence and success.
Held on the grounds of UCI, the sunny campus is full of fresh grass and lively students running to class. The Paul Merage School of Business offers a variety of programs and degrees, including the MBA, Executive MBA, and specialized Master’s degrees in fields such as Finance and Business Analytics. This business school is distinguished by its world-class faculty, cutting-edge research centers, and strong connections to the thriving business community of Irvine and beyond.
Students at the Paul Merage School of Business benefit from a dynamic learning environment that combines theoretical knowledge and practical application. This prepares them to become innovative leaders in their respective fields, including accounting, marketing, finance, management, and human resources.
During IFPY, the week was jam-packed with fascinating lectures on aspects of finance and wealth creation that I had never encountered before. Our week began with lecturer, Feroz Ansari, speaking on wealth creation, retirement savings, and the ins and outs of personal financial planning. His speeches woke me up to the importance of planning far in advance to ensure a healthy financial future.
On Tuesday, we met with Ansari and Merage professor, Christopher Schwarz, to learn about financial markets, such as how to pick stocks, create a portfolio, and invest in alternative forms. Many kinds of investments exist, such as stocks, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds. By the end of the day, my head was bursting with new facts, but we’d do it again the next day.
On Wednesday, we learned more about investment vehicles on a larger scale with companies such as Bloomberg and Charles Schwab Trading. We also learned how to test portfolios on morningstar.com and calculate bond math. Calculations and predictions are important parts of predicting portfolio futures. On Thursday, the second-to-last day, we discussed career choices in the financial industry and the impact of the U.S. tax system on finances.
For our very last day, Ansari guided us through our capstone case studies, which we had been working on throughout the week as homework. These case studies featured our unique wealth management strategies. We all had the opportunity to present to the parents for the last camp event. We were presented with a certificate of completion and enjoyed a reception with each other to celebrate.
One of the IFPY camp highlights for me was learning from instructor Ansari, who spoke passionately about taxes, the stock market, and personal finance. Throughout the week, we participated in a stock market simulation by investing in stocks of our choice. We learned how to analyze the market each day and how to invest depending on the situation. We also learned about risks and how to avoid, reduce, accept, or transfer risk.
Throughout the camp, I could discuss the lectures with many of my peers who were also attending. As an upcoming freshman, most of my peers attending the camp were older than me, so I learned a lot about what life would be like in high school. These conversations helped me feel more prepared and confident. One of the most memorable experiences was a team-based project. We were grouped with students from diverse backgrounds, each bringing unique perspectives and skills to make the project work.
Overall, spending time with other high schoolers and professors at UCI’s School of Business was transformative because of how immersive and informative it was. IFPY gave me a glimpse into what it would be like to study Economics or Finance in college. This camp stoked my passion for finance, especially the possibilities of wealth management and savings. I would recommend it to anyone eager to learn how to use money to positively impact their lives and their communities.
