Jackie Morgan, keynote speaker from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, gave a presentation on the career opportunities in economics and finance.
What do careers in finance and economics actually resemble?
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professors and guest speakers hoped to answer that question at the Empower Your Future event on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Hosted by the UTC Department of Finance and Economics in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, the event aimed to give high school students preparing for college a clearer understanding of the industry.
Juniors and seniors from Soddy Daisy High School and East Ridge High School listened to professors, industry professionals and student panels at the Wolford Family Athletic Center.
Dr. Bento Lobo, UC Foundation Professor and First Tennessee Bank Distinguished Professor of Finance, founded the event and said this is a crucial moment to explain what working in the industry actually entails.
“At this age, most of us who are in the discipline realize that we didn’t have that guidance—some of us stumbled into it—and a few of us studied our way into it,” Lobo said. “Giving people that advanced information and saying, ‘Listen, if you should choose to do this, expect the following,’ that’s why we put a diverse group of people, professionals as well as students, in front of them.”
Associate Dean of the Rollins College of Business Kathleen Wheatley kicked off the day’s festivities with a charge to students.
“We hope that by hearing from the speakers today and engaging with our faculty, staff and students, you gain a better understanding of the many ways in which the disciplines of finance and economics touch our lives and offer multiple career opportunities,” Wheatley said.
“Programs like today’s forum are key to the continued growth and success of our region. Our goal at the Rollins College of Business is to prepare the region’s future business leaders by providing our students with the best classroom instruction combined with hands-on learning.”
Students reacting to a presentation during the Empower Your Future event.
Students then heard from keynote speaker Jackie Morgan, an outreach senior advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. She asked students to reflect on their interests and personalities before deciding which field might best serve them.
UTC faculty members delivered presentations from their respective fields, including Kim Holder, managing director of the Center for Economic Education, who presented “Why Economics Rules Everything Around Me?” Robert L. Maclellan and UC Foundation Associate Professor of Finance Hunter Holzhauer led a session titled “Why Study Finance?”
A student panel provided information about what prospective finance and economics majors can expect from coursework, potential clubs and professors. The industry panel featured professionals ranging from recent UTC graduates to long-time leaders.
East Ridge High School Counselor Shanni Irizarry said the speakers were engaging and captivating.
“The start of the event really helped hone in the student interest by allowing them to recap a little bit and reflect on themselves first, which really helps capture your audience when you get them involved,” Irizarry said. “I might even use some of the knowledge that I gained from this in any future presentations that I have with students or other things coming up.”
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UTC Department of Finance and Economics
