Twelve members of Wall Street researchers from Nebraska, a student organization at the University of Nebraska – College of Business in Lincoln, recently traveled to New York to meet and network with investment bankers and investment professionals.
Experience gave them a first -hand exhibition to the most competitive companies in the financial sector. The opportunity was made possible with the support of Matt and Natasha Plooster, and BridgePoint Investment Banking.
The trip, nicknamed “Bridgepoint U”, gave members of the group the opportunity to connect with industry leaders. They met analysts from 13 -company partners: Adams Street, Blackstone, Deutsche Bank, Digital Bridge, Goldman Sachs, Guggenheim, Lincoln International, Mizuho / Greenhill, Moelis, Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, Perella Weinberg Partners and Piper Sandler.
The following students, listed alphabetically by hometown with their year at school and academic major, participated in the trip:
Nebraska
Doniphan:
- Abreham Stutzman, Junior, Finance and Accounting
Elkhorn:
- Kyler Evans, Junior, Finance and Economy
- Alec Franksmann, second year student, finance
Fremont:
- Cooper Taylor, Senior, Finance and Accounting
Lincoln:
- Will Blatchford, Junior, Finance and Economy
Omaha:
- Jude Dunwoody, second year student, finance and accounting
- Noah Nordstrom, Senior, Finance and Accounting
- Christian Thomas, senior, finance
- Jack Thiele, Junior, Finance and Accounting
Plattsmouth:
- Jack Welch, Junior, Finance
Other part
Naperville, Illinois:
- Matt Lgeski, Junior, Finance and Accounting
Overland Park, Kansas:
- Miles Wirth, Junior, Business Administration
The group’s president, Christian Thomas, said that in face -to -face interactions are invaluable in the highly competitive fields of the investment bank and the management of assets.
“Many of the best target schools – mainly institutions in the Ivy League – have these companies to come to their campuses, to which we have access to the Nebraska,” he said. “By traveling to New York, we have not only demonstrated our commitment to these careers, but we also obtained our names and Curriculum Vitae before recruiters who may not have considered us otherwise.”
Kyler Evans, a major junior in finance and economy of Elkhorn and vice-president of the group, underlined how the trip accelerated career opportunities.
“The recruitment of investment banks occurs at an incredible pace,” said Evans. “I am looking for courses that take place during the summer after my junior year. I had interviews aligned while we were in New York and I even had to change my flight to Houston for a final interview. This trip was a major differentiator. »»
BridgePoint Investment Banking, founded by Matt and Natasha Plooster, played an essential role in the possible yield of the trip. Originally from Nebraska and CEO of the company, Matt Plooster includes the barriers that Midwest students are faced to break from Wall Street. He worked for 10 years in Wall Street for Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank before returning to Nebraska for co-founding BridgePoint.
“When I was a student, these opportunities did not exist,” he said. “But Nebraska students are just as intelligent, talented, workers and capable as those of the best schools recruited. Nebraska financial students always stand out with unequaled work ethics and tenacity. They are hungry, determined, mature and work incredibly hard. I tell everyone that they would be wise to hire more cornhuskers. »»
More than 20 Nebraska students have done an internship in BridgePoint over the years, said Plooster.
“Almost all of them were devoted to careers in BridgePoint or other major investment banks or investment capital companies,” he said. “This is one of the impacts that BridgePoint had of which I am most proud.”
BridgePoint also helped students prepare to get the most out of the trip.
“We thought it would be incredibly impacting to bring these students to some of the main financial companies in the world and to help them establish relationships that could lead to real career opportunities,” said Plooster. “It was an excellent team effort, while other members of the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Finance of the College of Business joined the fight against business visits and to make presentations.”
Thomas said that Wall Street’s scholars of Nebraska hoped to make BridgePoint a recurring opportunity for their members.
“We are impatient to continue this new tradition and provide Huskers with the opportunity to compete for the most competitive positions through finance for the coming years,” he said. “We are incredibly grateful to BridgePoint and the elders who made it happen. Thanks to their support, this is only the beginning. »»