Written by Marcel Piatkowski ‘25

The Finance Club recently celebrated a monumental milestone, reaching a total of $200,000 in their portfolio. But where did this journey begin?

7 years ago, Steven Lanasky ‘16, a student, founded the club for the purpose of educating his fellow classmates on investing. After Mr. Cornish agreed to moderate the club, they both realized that the best way to help students make financial decisions was by getting hands-on with real money. The first year was the toughest, but after that, the club started to prosper. Fast-forward 7 years and massive strides have been made, leaving the members of the club in awe of what they have accomplished.

“This achievement represents the outcome of all the hard work and time spent by the club raising and investing money. The Finance Club’s breaking $200,000 shows the amazing chance that students have to be hands-on with the stock market in our club,” commented Oliver Kammeraad ’24, Senior and President of the Finance Club.

Junior Board Member Christian Bakkal ‘25 added, “I think that breaking $200,000 is an insane achievement. When the Finance Club was first started, I doubt that the members ever imagined reaching $200,000. To have a fully student-run portfolio reach $200,000 is a truly great feat.”

Not just a financial accomplishment, this achievement represents all of the hard work and dedication that students and moderators alike have put into this program. As time progresses, the club looks to aim for bigger achievements, looking to expand their portfolio and to use revenue to fund scholarships and school projects. Club Founder and Moderator Mr. Cornish shared his perspective on why students should consider joining: “Students should join because no matter what profession you have later in life, learning how to save for retirement is a skill that everyone must become good at. With pensions going away and social security at risk; how much you can save for yourself becomes more and more important and those investment decisions that you make along the way will become super important.”

Any students interested in signing up for the Finance Club can stop at room 108 or email Mr. Cornish.