By Ava Steffens
The Saluki Student Investment Fund (SSIF) at SIU Carbondale offers hands-on experience in investment research and management. The student-led organization is modeled after real-world investment management firms, enhancing students’ academic and professional experience. The program provides access to the necessary resources while fostering relationship building among peers, alumni, and industry professionals.
The SSIF began as a small student-run portfolio in 2000, starting at $25,000. 25 years later, students have grown the program and now handle $4.3 million in assets. They primarily focus on making investment decisions for their main client, the SIU Foundation. Members also manage funds for the College of Business and Analytics portfolio.
“There are few college funds that reach the size of ours,” said Noe Estrada, a junior and the team leader of the SSIF’s consumer discretionary and staples sector. “It’s a lot of work, and it’s a testament to the resilient nature of this team.”
Estrada explained the RSO’s strategy for calculating and analyzing the amount of funds generated from trading stocks. The process begins with looking at a company’s competitive advantage, and what drives its overall growth. From there, the fund calculates and analyzes sectors driving the company’s performance, using that data to determine strategic outcomes.
Through the SSIF, Estrada had access to a $30,000 Bloomberg Terminal yearly subscription. He was also able to use the knowledge he gained from the organization to build his own three-statement financial model.
“The Saluki Student Investment Fund changed my life. I’m going to enter a competitive job market with a significant skillset. What is being done in here sets the foundation to our future success.”
Jimmy Lin, a sophomore finance major who serves as an analyst for the healthcare sector, emphasizes the importance of the impact that the SSIF has on professional development.
“Since the SSIF is the primary asset manager of the SIU Foundation, trading stocks using real money may seem intimidating at first. But once you are trained, it becomes second nature,” he said. “Those capabilities and abilities that we learned during our time in the organization will carry over into the corporate world.”
Although he agrees that the idea of students managing millions of dollars may seem daunting, Lin assures that the money contributed to the fund is in “good hands.”
“It makes us think a lot harder about the decisions we make. We must remain diligent, meaning we spend money with caution. It helps us strategize through the process and take it seriously.”
Kate DeGrazia, a senior and the team leader for the real estate sector, explained that the SSIF operates in a way that parallels the S&P 400 index. “Depending on how it’s divided up, the SSIF sectors are structured the same. We pick the strongest stocks so we can beat out the index,” she said.
Community building and networking are also crucial aspects of the SSIF. “Meeting alumni is one of my favorite parts of the fund. It’s nice to see what my peers who are a couple years older than me accomplish,” said DeGrazia. “It’s like having big brothers and big sisters; knowing that alumni care and will extend their hard-earned money back to us has really shaped my experience.”
The program is not only open to business majors, according to DeGrazia. “We’ve had premed, automotive, and engineering students too, and that uniqueness helps us out. There are so many different minds collaborating on each task, and we can all share our own perspectives.”
Sarah Farris, a senior who is the team leader for the health care sector, originally joined the RSO to learn more about investing in her own future. The fund also dives deeper into subject matter learned in her marketing classes.
“While it was scary handling real-world money at first, it provided a good experience and helped us gain confidence. It’s an honor that they trust students to be able to manage that amount of money.”
Farris says that leading the organization was a crucial part of her college experience. She said the knowledge gained through the fund is comparable to working a job for all 4 years. The SSIF has led to a variety of post-graduate opportunities for her and her classmates.
“Knowing that we have money in our back pockets to use for different experiences helps ease our minds,” said Farris.
Presley Ornelas, a sophomore and an analyst for the real estate sector, first learned about SSIF when visiting his friends at SIU, who were involved with the organization. He attributed the SSIF to helping him grow a network of supportive peers and mentors. “Whether it’s visiting financial firms, competitions, or helping the community, it’s a great experience.”
This year, Ornelas and 16 other SSIF students went to NYC to visit Dow Jones and Bloomberg. They received invaluable insight from established professionals while growing their network. Through experiences like this field trip, he learned more about professional and strategic development.
“Thanks to the SSIF, I’ll already be prepared to take the CFA exam, and I’ll have my Bloomberg marketing certification,” says Ornelas.
Beyond building connections with alumni and potential job recruiters, members shadow industry professionals in their day-to-day experiences. This offers a chance to learn from these mentors.
“No matter how an alum decides to give back to the SSIF, knowing we have their support is priceless,” he said.
Costs relating to operational expenses, student support, advisor stipends, and subscriptions are preserved primarily through external support. Those who wish to support the SSIF can get involved by meeting critical funding needs that maintain the organization’s impact. To learn more about how to make a difference in the lives of future investment leaders or to make a gift, visit give.siu.edu/ssif.
For more information about the Saluki Student Investment Fund, visit business.siu.edu/rso/ssif.
In October 1971, Man Nguyen arrived in Carbondale from Vietnam with three high school friends, the support of his family, and a dream of one day returning to his homeland. Encouraged by the older brother of one of his friends who was already attending Southern Illinois University, Nguyen applied and was accepted—a decision that would mark the beginning of a life-changing chapter.
After graduating in 1975 with a degree in mathematics, Nguyen embarked on a career in information technology. He first joined Lockheed Electronics in Houston, a NASA contractor supporting the space shuttle program. He later worked for Marathon Oil as an IT consultant, where he had an unexpected encounter with SIU alumna and retired NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham. She autographed a photo of herself featured on the cover of the March 2007 SIU Alumni Magazine, which he still keeps.
