From Bona's to Wall Street: The power of SIMM

Ryland Wiseman, a class of 2017 accounting and finance major, came to St. Bonaventure University in 2013 from Phoenix, Ariz., with his best friend. 

While the trek from Arizona to Western New York is extensive, Wiseman quickly immersed himself in the Bona Bubble, joining Bona Responds and helping form the men’s club basketball team. 

He also joined Students in Money Management, an experiential program in which students manage a real investment portfolio.

“Not only did I practice on-the-job skills and tasks each day in SIMM, but I was also initially exposed to the finance world there,” Wiseman explained, adding that his original background is in accounting.

Wiseman said his time with SIMM allowed him to learn and understand finance at his own pace, and, within a year in the class.

Through his time in SIMM and connections made during networking trips to Chicago and New York City, Wiseman was able to secure a summer internship as an investment banking analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets. The internship turned into a full-time offer of employment.

“I learned skills in SIMM that I used every day on the job, starting with the basic one-minute markets and industry updates we did daily,” Wiseman said. “This kept me well read and taught me how to read through information and narrow down what’s important and worth reporting on.” He said the resources SIMM provided put him ahead of his peers when it came time to get a job.

“Using Bloomberg and having that resource in the classroom was awesome,” he said. “I got to my internship and full-time job being ahead of other students who didn’t have one to use on their campus.”

The Bloomberg machine, a piece of industry technology, provides information that informs the buy and sell decisions of SIMM members.

Wiseman said the class also taught students how to analyze companies’ stocks and learn to use the fundamentals of valuation, something he now uses daily in his work.

“In my opinion, if we want to continue placing students at top firms and positions, we need to continue to focus on SIMM in the business school,” he said.