“I had no idea all these other things would be available to me,” shared Mimi Lam, a fourth year student in Global Financial Management and Systems with a minor in Economics about her experience as a student at the Sprott School of Business.
Though she may not have begun her studies knowing about the possibilities for her to learn outside the classroom, Mimi quickly found these opportunities to take advantage of. The Discovery Centre made contact with her to hear about her work as the co-president of the Sprott Finance Student Association (SFSA) and she had plenty of hands-on learning experience to share!
With 16 student associations, Sprott prides itself on promoting a well-rounded student experience. The SFSA is one such organization which focuses on events and activities for finance students related to their field of study. Mimi’s main focus has been on building relationships with industry in the community so students can learn from professionals and also increase the possibility of sponsorship.
SFSA’s most recent event was a Wine and Cheese where Business and Economics students had the opportunity to mingle with industry professionals. Mimi noted that “In finance, it is about who you know and what they know about you. If you want to get a job, you have to know people a lot of the time to get that first interview.”
Some other upcoming goals for SFSA include providing students with background information about careers in finance and timelines for job applications, which many students don’t realize begin in August. SFSA wants to make sure students are prepared to meet these deadlines and that guidance is provided through career information.
Mimi is also the Carleton student ambassador for the Montreal Exchange Options Trading Simulation, a team competition where students from all over Canada receive a virtual budget of $100,000 which is used to build an options portfolio. The teams which have the best returns at the end of a 9 week period and have followed the requirements are eligible to win $10,000 as a first place prize.
On top of SFSA, Mimi also shared about her experience with the Sprott Investment Fund. As the longest standing member and the sector manager of the Sprott Investment Fund, Mimi had very positive experiences to share. With the Sprott Investment Fund, Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of International Business students manage an equity portfolio, giving them a taste of real-world business experience and money management. “I’m always finding things that push me,” she noted.
When asked what she would say to first year students about their upcoming education, Mimi said “don’t be afraid. Try everything and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it, but try it all because now is your time to make mistakes and try something you have never done before.”
If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy hearing about Sprott Competes.
By Heather McAlister