The NU Finance Club from the Holzschuh College of Business Administration completed its
Finance Immersion experience trip to New York City from Monday, April 20, to Tuesday, April
21. Seventeen students from the Holzschuh College of Business – ranging from freshmen to
graduate students in our MS-Finance program – were afforded this opportunity to explore
career opportunities in New York’s financial services industry. The trip was organized and
coordinated by the NU Finance Club’s faculty advisors Dr. Krieg Tidemann, HCBA associate dean
and associate professor of Economics, and Professor Chris Hugar, faculty fellow for Finance.
Over the two days in New York, students visited the NYC headquarters of Bloomberg, TIAA-
CREF, and Deloitte. They also walked the trading floor at Citi, appreciated New York’s unique
position in the development of financial markets through a guided walking tour, and made
several on-camera appearances as guests at NBC’s iconic “Today Show.” These visits enhanced
our students’ future career preparedness by building their technical skills and exposing them to
the numerous pathways they can take in finance: wealth management, corporate finance,
management consulting, risk assessment, institutional record keeping, front office trading,
market operations, among others.
Speaking to the importance of gaining firsthand industry exposure, Prof. Hugar shared that “There is no substitute for the energy of New York City when it comes to inspiring the next generation of finance leaders. Our students stepped off campus and into the boardrooms of top-tier firms in asset management, retirement, trading, and consulting. For them, seeing the industry in action firsthand shifted perspectives and sparked bold new ambitions.”
Beyond gaining exposure to industry, the Financial Immersion Experience trip afforded students
an invaluable opportunity to network with prominent Niagara alumni from New York City
working in financial services. These include former Niagara Board of Trustees chair John A.
Rieger ’86 from Deloitte, Robert J. Preziosi ’84 from Elm Financial, Elizabeth Laskie-Gonzalez ’95
from NBC/TODAY, Patrick Schramm ’14 from VanEck, and Patrick Roch ’11 ’12 from Citi.
Additionally, incoming Niagara Board of Trustees member Thomas J. Gallagher ’84 and Justin
Brown from Niagara’s Office of Institutional Advancement were instrumental in assisting both
Dr. Tidemann and Prof. Hugar in the design and delivery of this trip.
Speaking to the impact of integrating Niagara’s influential alumni presence into this trip, Dr. Tidemann noted that “One of the most transformative dimensions of this experience was introducing our Finance Club students to several successful alumni, at various points in their career journey, thriving in the
financial services industry. It is incredibly rewarding as a faculty member to see how this trip
empowered our students to broaden their career horizons, appreciate the importance of
engaging with industry professionals, and foster relationships with alumni in pursuit of
transformative internships and careers.”
Students on the trip were incredibly appreciative for this opportunity and how it inspired them
as they approach the rest of their careers on Monteagle Ridge and beyond. Kelly Maksymiu, a
freshman finance and marketing major from Rochester, shared that “Attending this academic
trip under the NU Finance Club was one of the best learning experiences in my recent academic
years. Getting the opportunity to tour all of these successful finance related firms and to get a
view on what their day-to-day life is, working in a competitive industry like theirs, was inspiring
to me.” Additionally, Owen Kiestman, a senior economics and finance major from North
Tonawanda, stated that “Experiencing New York City firsthand challenged me to think bigger
and better understand the opportunities within my field.”
Following from Niagara’s Vincentian commitment to make experiences like the Finance
Immersion Experience trip accessible to all students, regardless of financial means, this
experience was primarily supported by NUSGA and the HCBA’s Monteagle Fund. The Monteagle
Fund relates to a senior portfolio management course taught by Prof. Hugar, where students
actively manage approximately $750,000 of the Niagara University endowment.
