Severn Students Get Firsthand Experience on Wall Street

3/9/2018

Guest post written by Director of Alumni Relations Carrie MacVean Grimes '91

Last week, Severn sophomores, juniors, and seniors boarded the early Northeast Regional Amtrak train to New York City to pound the pavement of the Big Apple and take a deep dive into the professional world of finance. In a mentoring adventure organized via collaboration between Math Department Chair Julien Meyer and Alumni Director Carrie Grimes ‘91, students from Severn’s Investment Club and classes in Financial Algebra and Economics spent the day traversing from midtown Manhattan to Wall Street, to gain insights from professionals working in the fast-paced field of finance.

Real Context, Meaningful Connections

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” — John Dewey

Mr. Meyer was inspired to provide his students with a first-person peek into the true context and corporate culture of the broad range of careers which exist in the world of finance. “I believe students need to experience this first hand. Just talking about it or watching a film doesn’t do it justice.” When he approached Grimes with the idea as an opportunity to engage New York area alumni mentors in finance, she was thrilled to partner. “Getting current students and alumni to meaningfully connect is the ideal within alumni relations — those mentoring moments are some of our most rewarding alumni engagements,” said Grimes.

Paul Hastings LLP and JP Morgan Chase

An itinerary materialized which allowed students to visit Paul Hastings LLP, a corporate law firm specializing in finance, as well as the headquarters of global financial services firm JP Morgan Chase. The field trip culminated with a private tour of the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange. To kick the day off, seven law partners at Paul Hastings offered a broad glimpse into the legal world of finance, shedding light on the students’ inquiries about how to chart one’s course in the industry. Hastings’ Partner Gerd Alexander’s unusual path led him from a successful career as a recording artist to Duke Law School, where he intended to pursue studies in entertainment law. A summer internship at Paul Hastings exposed him to corporate real estate law, which unexpectedly became his enduring professional passion. “Keep your eyes, ears, and minds open to possibilities — always be adaptable and ready to pivot,” advised Alexander.

Severn School students visit Paul Hastings LLP

At the next stop, JP Morgan Chase Global Headquarters, students were hosted by Severn alumni Jason Scott ’95, Avery Burns ’10 and Chris Edgar ’10. Scott, Head of Investor Relations for the firm, was eager to hear from students about their interests and questions regarding careers in finance, and kicked off the board room conversation by sharing an overview of the many services a firm like JP Morgan Chase provides its clients. He also lightheartedly joked about his alumni status, saying, “Listen, I owe it all to Mr. Bodley!”

Students actively peppered the alumni with questions, and were excited to learn more about what the day-to-day work of a financial service professional looked like. Students also honed in on asking the alumni how to best position one’s self with recruiters when interviewing for summer internships. Burns, who participates in recruitment for JP Morgan Chase, offered this, “Remember, you are also interviewing the company, not just the other way around. Use your Severn network to prepare, and talk to as many people as you can; candidly ask people what they do on a daily basis so that you can find out what might be a fit for you.”

Edgar provided words of encouragement to the students, "I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated from Severn. You have a lot of time to figure it out. Don’t forget when you have work experiences to find people you enjoy working with and to keep an open mind along the way.”

Severn School students in front of JP Morgan Chase on a field trip. — *JP Morgan Chase HQ, Midtown Manhattan*

The visit to JP Morgan Chase concluded with a private tour led by Scott, focused on the equities trading floor, which was abuzz with commotion. Students’ eyes and minds were lit up by the opportunity to witness the inner workings of such a large financial services operation. Senior Cooper Emmons remarked, “I found meeting with Severn alumni at JP Morgan Chase to be the most inspiring part of our trip…meeting people who were in my shoes at the same place years ago, and who are now on a big stage at a company such as JP Morgan, makes the dream a reality, and makes me realize that I can get there as well.”