SunTrust Foundation and the SunTrust FIU Financial Wellness Clinic

Throughout my time at FIU, I have taken the initiative to get involved and stay focused on my dream of working in the financial industry. My freshman year has been dedicated to assimilating new information with the intent to ultimately teach others about finance and the wealth of resources available at FIU.

I am currently part of several student organizations, one being the Phoenician Investment Fund, where I currently hold a position on the executive board as Director of Marketing. I have also participated in the Student Managed Investment Fund, where students are placed in teams to analyze different sectors of the market with the objective of finding undervalued equities. After finding an undervalued security that is also positioned to outperform, students develop a presentation and pitch their stock to an advisory board overseeing a $250,000 portfolio. The course is structured as experiential learning with networking opportunities. Based on my performance in the course, I was offered a summer internship by one of the advisory board members. This summer, I interned at a local firm as an investment research analyst. This experience reaffirmed my commitment to pursuing a career in investment banking particularly within a “bulge bracket” bank.

I am very grateful for the SunTrust partnership because of the opportunity it gives me to apply the skills I’m developing through coursework and internships to the real world. With the help of SunTrust volunteers, we will enable students to learn critical life skills as they are introduced into the world of finance. And with this partnership, I will forge new relationships with SunTrust executives, which will broaden my intellectual and professional scope. In turn, I will be able to pass down the knowledge I have attained to younger students and help introduce them to finance at an earlier age. This is important since early exposure to financial education can pave the way to attaining professional success. This partnership will mark the beginning of a great relationship where SunTrust can actively recruit students from FIU and jumpstart their careers by providing invaluable opportunities.

Thank you!
Jose Morales

business.fiu.edu