This spring break, 8 students in the Opportunity Fund Project gave up their week of relaxation to participate in an immersive and once in a lifetime experience in London. They spent countless hours in vans, trains, planes, and cars as they traversed from Storrs, CT all the way to London. After landing, these students didn’t let any time go to waste. After less than a day to adjust to the time zone, the professional development meetings began.
From the Church of England to Experian, the Opportunity Fund traveled all over the grid. Each of the speakers at the meetings shared their unique path and their insights at their respective career stages. For the freshmen, the meetings could be really overwhelming at first. When finance jargon is thrown around, sometimes it can be hard to grasp the concepts. Madeline Castro ‘27 expressed that at the beginning of the week, she struggled to fully keep up with the conversations, but later in the week she found herself “understanding more of the terms that the investors were using”.
Each meeting provided a look into a specific niche or segment within the realm of investing, so that the students could explore various career paths. At Schroders, the female speakers dove into active investing and the intricacies of ESG and emerging markets. This meeting was especially enlightening because, until now, many students hadn’t had much experience with ESG. They were engaged and inquisitive the whole time. On the same day, the Opportunity Fund Project team also visited some of the leading women at Troy Asset Management. Troy hosted a comfortable and transparent conversation about their mission, their experiences as women, and their ideas on workplace boundaries and generational trends in the workforce. For Vicky Chen ‘24, TA of the Building Blocks class, “hearing their stories of overcoming barriers through grit, intellectual curiosity, and passion for investing instilled in me confidence about the immense possibilities for women in this profession”.
This London trip wasn’t all work, though. Throughout the trip, the group got to experience all things London. They visited Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Hyde Park, Tower Bridge, and many other famous sites. During the trip, students also got the opportunity to see Hamilton in London. Ironic, considering the material in the play.
By far, the most notable aspect of the cultural immersion experience was the culinary adventure that they went on. The trip began with a traditional Sunday breakfast and English Sunday roast. From there, the flavors only intensified as we ate Nigerian, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese, and Turkish cuisines. Each of the students was given a chance to step outside her comfort zone and try something new. These family dinners also served as an important opportunity for the students to debrief the day and reflect on what they had learned. In addition to the cultural immersion and the professional development aspects of the trip, there was one aspect that all of the students felt was important to draw attention to. This trip was an unparalleled opportunity for the students to come together, bond, and celebrate everything that they had achieved together. Thanks to Steve Wilson, a group of intelligent, perceptive, and capable women came together to support each other through jet lag, stock pitches, and college as a whole. By the end of the trip, train rides were filled with uncontrollable laughter and the van ride back to Storrs was filled with content silence as the women leaned on each other for support–or for a shoulder to nap on.
We would like to thank all of the groups who were kind enough to host us. Thank you to Leifbridge, GA Courtenay, Experian, Quilter Cheviot, Cederberg, Polen, Schroders, Variis, Troy, Shard, Cardan, the Church of England, Kepler, and Frankie for sharing your time with us. A special thank you goes out to Ernst Knacke for his help in the forging of meaningful professional connections. To Tina Pierce from the UConn School of Business, thank you for stepping up to make this trip happen. We greatly appreciate your company and help in making this trip a success.
And to Steve, we are eternally grateful for all of the time and energy you dedicated to making this trip a reality. Organizing such a wonderful experience is no small feat, especially in the time frame you were given. Time and time again, you demonstrate your selflessness. We thank you.