Ouachita Finance Student Receives National Award for Running Ally Student Investment Fund
Ouachita Baptist University’s team of finance students took second place at the annual Quinnipiac Global Wealth Management Education Forum held March 30-31 in New York City. Professor Wachita finished second in the Undergraduate Core Portfolio category for 2022 risk-adjusted returns from the group-managed Ally Student Investment Fund, a $2 million equity portfolio.
The Quinnipiac GAME Forum is the world’s largest student-sponsored financial conference with over 120 schools and 1,300 students attending. This year’s forum was attended by over 100 industry-leading speakers, guiding students through the process and helping them learn about the financial sector.
The GAME Forum will reward the top three participants in three categories: Growth, Value and Core. In addition, one general prize will be awarded to him in the graduate school category.
Ouachita’s Student-Managed Equity Portfolio was founded in 2000 with an $8,000 donation raised by Emeritus Associate Professor of Finance Eddie Alley, who wanted to provide students in his investment class with hands-on experience in managing money. . It was later renamed the Eddie & Phyllis Ally Student Investment Fund in 2012 in honor of Ally and his wife.
A team of senior finance students from Ouachita’s Hickingbotham Business School meet weekly to actively manage the portfolio. Their faculty advisor is Dr. Chris Brune, Professor and Dean of the George Young School of Business. His 2022 growth for the fund is the result of management by his two teams. In the spring of 2022, seniors from last year directed it, and the current team directed it in the fall.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team and thank God for them and the incredible talent and ability that He has given them,” Brune said. “We would also like to thank the generosity of our HSB donors and the support of Dean Brian McKinney for allowing us to participate in this wonderful opportunity.”
The process to become part of the Ary Investment Fund team is highly competitive. Interested students apply and are interviewed in the spring of their junior year.
“Looking back on my time in Ouachita, this trip will be one of my most enjoyable memories. accountant Connor Bjerke said. A financial double major from Oak Leaf, Texas. “It was great to win this award as a team, as he was competing with other colleges with an average enrollment of over 20,000 students.”
In addition to Bjerke, Ouachita’s 2022-23 Ary Student Investment Fund team includes:
- Nati Abeje, Senior Finance Major from Murphy, Texas
- Jacob Bowman is a senior accounting and finance double major from Worcester, Arkansas.
- Heather Brown, Triple Major in Senior Finance, Business Administration/Marketing, Business Administration/Entrepreneurship from Omaha, TX
- Rebecca Chandler is a senior accounting and finance double major from Little Rock, Ark.
- Madison Draper is a senior accounting and finance double major from Alexander, Ark.
- Emilio Garcia, Senior Accounting and Finance Dual Major from McKinney, Texas
- Wes Guerra is a senior accounting and finance double major from Benton, Ark.
- Jessica Johnson, Senior Finance Major from Little Rock, Ark.
- Colton Schrader, Senior Finance and Business Administration/Entrepreneurship Double Major from Red Oak, Texas
- Jacob Smith, Senior Finance and Business Administration/Entrepreneurship Double Major from Rowlett, Texas
- David Stankovic, Senior Finance Major from Wiley, Texas
Teams for the 2021-22 season include:
- Alex Bryan, Finance Major from Dallas, Texas
- Chris Bryan, Finance Graduate from Dallas, Texas
- Gage Hill is an accounting graduate from Springfield, Missouri.
- Lauren Kinley is an accounting and finance graduate from Conway, Arkansas.
- Andrew McDonald graduated from Little Rock, Ark with a major in Finance and Business Administration/Sports Management.
- Kyndal Moyer, Accounting and Finance Graduate from Lampasas, Texas
- Sydney Parker is an accounting and finance graduate from Edmond, Oklahoma.
- Brennan Saunders, Finance and Business Administration/Sports Management graduate from Wiley, Texas
- Jacob Street, Finance and Business Administration/Management Graduate from Nacogdoches, Texas
- Grant Winger, Finance and Business Administration/Sports Management graduate from Wiley, Texas
- Noah Worley is an accounting graduate from Camden, ARK.
For more information, please contact Dr. Chris Brune at brunec@obu.edu or (870) 245-4293.
Top photo: Ouachita’s 2022-23 Alley Student Investment Fund team. Photographed at the Quinnipiac GAME Forum with Faculty Advisor Dr. Chris Brune (far left). Conor Bjarke, Emilio Garcia, David Stankovic, Nati Abeje, Wes Guerra, Jacob Smith, Rebecca Chandler, Jessica Johnson, Madison Draper. Additional team members are Jacob Bowman, Heather Brown and Colton Schrader (not pictured).
Photo credit: Tom Calhoun
