Moeller Student Endowment
A handful of Moeller students have been granted $100,000 to invest in the stock market for an endowment for the first time in school history! Of course, the students are not the only ones with all the power in this process. They are led by Ms. Tlucek, who has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort to making this possible.
The innovation hub has been a vital part of this opportunity. The environment allows students to split up into different parts of the hub and work together. They also enjoy observing the stock ticker daily in room 360 and using Morningstar software to see the story behind the numbers. Throughout the year, Ms. Tlucek has introduced many interesting topics that have sparked passion and deep discussion among the students, leading to this amazing opportunity to get involved in the market.
None of this would be possible without the resources and generosity of certain individuals who have made this a reality at Moeller. Scott and Tricia Mercalde, who have partnered with some of the top investment firms on Wall Street since 1997 while assisting their clients in Cincinnati, have supported this fund so that Moeller students can use their gifts and talents to help others. Their three sons, Jesse, Christian, and Graham, attended Moeller and have experienced firsthand all the school provides for students to grow and flourish in the real world. They spoke about "the importance of staying on the cutting edge of technology and education," which Moeller has significantly invested in over recent years.
The classroom where all the research is done by students for the endowment is called The Sarah & Greg Carmichael Family Investment Lab. They funded the lab in the innovation hub in honor of Greg's long career in the financial industry and wanted to allow students to learn the fundamentals of investing and financial literacy. Greg advises the students to "apply the education you gain inside the Investment Lab and innovation hub to execute the personal goals you develop during your time at Moeller." This investment lab is also modeled after the Center for Portfolio Management and Security Analysis in the School of Business Administration at the University of Dayton. Adam Molina, who graduated from Dayton in 1996, managed a $1 million portfolio that is now recognized nationally as a senior manager of the center. The Molina family has gifted Moeller with the state-of-the-art technology that the lab possesses, believing it will give students the knowledge to invest and achieve a high rate of return from the fund.
The students have been fortunate to listen to many guest speakers in class who currently work in the business and finance world, including Deacon Nathan Beiersdorfer, CFO of Moeller, and Mike Hackman, who founded his own finance business and serves on the advisory board for this endowment. The students gained insight into what companies to look for, how to value them, and what screening processes to use. For example, Mr. Hackman outlined some of the most important financial aspects to consider when deciding on a company, while Dcn. Nathan spoke about the moral and ethical requirements that companies must meet, as the students must follow the socially responsible investment guidelines for the USCCB. He emphasized that God is calling us to make a difference in the world as Catholics by investing in good causes, so the students must analyze the actions and intentions of each company they research.
Investing this money could not begin without all the research done by students in two particular classes. The first, Investment Research, was a first-semester course that provided roughly twenty students with the information needed to analyze various companies and the ability to handle the ups and downs of the market intelligently. Portfolio Management is the second-semester course that these students are currently taking, working closer and closer to creating a portfolio. The class is split into five groups of three, with each group researching companies in two particular market sectors. Each company that is pitched must first be accepted by two-thirds of the class and then pitched to the official Moeller advisory board, which makes the ultimate decision as long as the majority believes in the company and its potential to make a true impact on the investment. This money will continue to grow exponentially over time, providing financial aid to incoming freshmen at Moeller.
So many people have made this student-run investment fund possible, along with the innovation hub, investment lab, technology, and all the other resources now used daily by Moeller students. These current students will impact the lives of countless future Crusaders and families. It will be exciting to see how much this fund contributes to Moeller's growth and success.