Two dozen Mount Vernon High School students explored Cornell’s Cell Finance Lab and experienced life as a student on the Hilltop during their J‑Term class in January.
The students spent two weeks taking Digging Into Finance before the start of their second semester. Math Teacher Nate Namanny said the visit to Cornell helped students start thinking about their next steps after high school.
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“We wanted to give a good college experience, and help them explore what a finance class looks like,” Namanny said. “We heard about the ticker that Cornell has, and we thought it would be a cool lab to come see and see how they use that in a classroom. We’ve been doing day trading throughout the course of this week.”
Associate Professor of Finance Huan Cai led students in a hands-on activity. They played a trading game that replicated limit‑order trading in stock markets, in which traders specify prices at which they are willing to buy or sell. This allowed them to apply economic concepts such as supply and demand and competitive markets to understand stock market trading.
“Welcoming high school students onto campus is always a lot of fun,” Cai said. “I enjoyed working with the students and sharing our love of finance while also showing them how theory comes to life through the lesson.”
The visiting students also learned about the Cornell Finance Group (CFG), a student organization composed of Cornellians interested in learning the ins and outs of trading. CFG meets on the first and third Wednesdays of every block at 6:30 p.m. in the Durham classroom of the Thomas Commons. Students of any major are welcome to attend and join in on the conversation. CFG students manage a successful equity portfolio for the college and support each other with internship and career goals.
"My favorite part of the club is the opportunity to connect with like-minded students who share an interest in finance and investing. I’ve met some of my closest friends through CFG, which has made the experience even more meaningful," said CFG President Garrett Michulka ’26.
While on campus, the visiting students also connected with an admission counselor and had lunch in the Hilltop Café. High school junior Nate Poduska said he enjoyed focusing on learning about finances during his two-week J-Term class, which is similar to a block at Cornell where students take One Course At A Time for 3 1/2 weeks.
“You get to learn about finances, but you also get to learn about college and get a little taste of the college experience. That’s something I really liked about it,” Poduska said.
By the end of the visit, students left with a deeper understanding of finance and a clearer picture of the college and career paths that could lie ahead.