By Maggie Ring

UM School of Business Administration

Students studying finance and similar fields at the University of Mississippi enhanced their professional skills at the fourth annual Wall Street Prep Seminar.

Professionals in the finance industry came to the event on April 11th to teach students how to better understand financial statements and become more proficient in Microsoft Excel. Students got to dip their toes into the water of the financial industry, observing career data and being prepared for future job interviews.

“Wall Street Prep is pleased to have worked with Ole Miss since 2018 to help prepare students for careers in the highly competitive finance industry,” said Matthew Blair, Director of University Relations, Wall Street Prep. “This year, with the help of the Ole Miss Finance Club and the Career Services team, we had our largest WSP seminar enrollment to date, with more than 50 students participating.”

The Ole Miss Finance Club has rapidly grown from 166 members in the fall 2024 semester to 361 members. Weekly meeting attendance has surged from an original average of 20 to a current range of 70 to 100 members per meeting.

“The Wall Street Prep workshop was a great success and a reflection of our students’ commitment to investing in their future,” said Wesley Dickens, Director of Career Services for the UM Business School. “Dedicating an entire Friday to building valuable career skills speaks volumes about their drive. A big thank you to the Finance Club and Business School Administration for their support in making this event possible and for championing the importance of experiential learning.”

Founded on the principles of fostering financial literacy, professional development, and experiential learning, the Ole Miss Finance Club has created a competitive way for students to learn about investing by providing hands-on investment experience; a subgroup called the Ole Miss Investment Group take stock pitches made by members of the Finance Club and decide whether or not to act on the investment opportunities.

“This event has been held sporadically in past years, but with the increase in membership and a growing number of members aspiring to break into high finance, I am eager to establish it as a recurring event,” said Andrew McDonough, junior finance major from Palm Beach, Florida, and president of the Ole Miss Finance Club. “Wall Street Prep does an amazing job of creating in-depth foundations to a lot of different technical skills needed to excel in finance.”