Students and faculty members in the Shields School of Business visited New York City from Nov. 6-8 for a learning experience that included professional networking and business and cultural exploration.
After arriving in the city on Nov. 6, the group checked into the Club Quarters Hotel, which is located near the World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial and Wall Street. The first day of the trip ended with dinner in New York City’s Little Italy.
The group enjoyed a tour of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on the morning of Nov. 7. The tour was led by Paul Slikowski, a trader at Meridian Equity Partners.
Students learned about the history of the market and the fast-paced nature of trading stocks during the tour. They attended the 9 a.m. opening bell ceremony. The bell was rung by employees at Pencil Inc., a New York City nonprofit organization, on Nov. 7.
Sophomore Management and Marketing double-major Ayden Martinage said the trip to the NYSE was exciting.
“I enjoyed experiencing the spirit on the trading floor,” said Martinage. “These workers – who make pivotal financial decisions – maintain a high-energy work ethic that gives the economy a fresh wave of optimism.
“This was an impressive and inspiring experience.”
After the NYSE visit, the SFU group stopped for pictures at the Charging Bull statue before visiting the upscale French department store Printemps at 1 Wall Street.
On the evening of Nov. 7, the group attended an SFU alumni mixer at Rosie O’Grady’s Restaurant. Current students connected with a group of alumni living and working in or near the city during this event.
“It was nice of the alumni to take time out of their lives to connect with us,” said senior Communications major Sam Przybys.
On the final day of the trip, students explored New York City on their own before boarding the bus for the ride back to Loretto.
Junior Accounting major Emma Dumm said her favorite part of the trip was experiencing new parts of the city, while connecting with alumni and her fellow students.
“I would definitely recommend that every Business student go on this trip at least once during their time at Saint Francis,” said Dumm.
