{"id":4557,"date":"2025-07-02T19:41:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T19:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4557"},"modified":"2025-07-02T19:41:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T19:41:09","slug":"arnold-witnessing-the-investments-impact-of-ssif-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4557","title":{"rendered":"Arnold: Witnessing the investments, impact of SSIF grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Ava Steffens<\/strong><\/p>\n

Matt Arnold, a 2000 Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus, remembers the moment he heard about the launch of the Saluki Student Investment Fund (SSIF). It was his final semester, and the finance major with a minor in accounting immediately saw the opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I heard about it, I knew I had to be involved,\u201d Arnold said.<\/p>\n

Arnold joined the inaugural class of just eight students. Their mission: build the foundation of a student-run investment fund seeded by a $25,000 donation. Today, that fund has grown into a $4.2 million operation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the dirt mounting and the foundation being built,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat was done after I left was a beautiful job constructing something that now has a 25-year history.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Launching Pad<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arnold has met many students who launched successful careers thanks to their SSIF experience. He said employers value the skills students gain through the fund\u2014teamwork, investment analysis, and the ability to accept and apply feedback.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows that a student knows how to invest, work with others, and use constructive feedback to improve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also noted that the fund helps students build professional networks, which often lead to their first jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond hands-on experience, it gives access to professionals who are established in their field and know how difficult it is to break into this business,\u201d Arnold said.<\/p>\n

Arnold grew up in Waterloo, Illinois, and moved to Jackson County, where his father owned an automotive business. Following in his parents\u2019 footsteps, he chose SIU for its proximity and strong business programs.<\/p>\n

He explored several areas within the College of Business and Analytics before a finance class \u201cjust clicked,\u201d he said. Inspired by the media\u2019s portrayal of stock analysts, Arnold pursued a career in finance and has since become a respected financial research analyst in St. Louis.<\/p>\n

At Edward Jones Investments, he leads half of the Equity Research department\u2019s analysts, helping financial advisors make informed investment decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is telling advisors the best place for their clients\u2019 money to appreciate over time, while managing risk and avoiding dire financial outcomes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Giving Back<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arnold\u2019s connection to SSIF didn\u2019t end at graduation. He returned to support the fund when it began competing in the CFA Institute\u2019s annual Chartered Financial Analyst Challenge in Virginia. Students pitch investment recommendations and develop detailed theses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was asked to join as an advisor for a group,\u201d he said. \u201cSince then, that has been a big piece of how I dedicate my time to the fund.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though his time as a student member was brief, Arnold said mentoring current students is his favorite way to support SIU.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnytime I\u2019ve been asked to give back to the fund or department, I\u2019m inclined to help,\u201d he said. \u201cI remember how I wished I had more of a network, especially toward the end of my college career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the guidance of faculty advisor Dr. Tim Marlo, the SSIF continues to provide students with real-world experience and mentorship. Arnold hopes the program will continue to thrive for future generations of Salukis.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupporting the SSIF gives future students the same incredible opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cAs precious a commodity as time is, you will feel so rewarded when you invest some of it into young people. It brings you back to what it was like when you were there.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about the Saluki Student Investment Fund, visit\u00a0business.siu.edu\/rso\/ssif<\/a>. To support the fund, visit\u00a0give.siu.edu\/ssif<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ava Steffens Matt Arnold, a 2000 Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus, remembers the moment he heard about the launch of the Saluki Student Investment Fund (SSIF). It was his final semester, and the finance major with a minor in accounting immediately saw the opportunity. \u201cAs soon as I heard about it, I knew I … Continue reading Arnold: Witnessing the investments, impact of SSIF grow<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-higher-education","category-illinois-higher-education","category-siu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4557"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4559,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4557\/revisions\/4559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}