Mentors are providing a lot of continuing career path counseling. Alvo also noted that member involvement is crucial to the success of the program. We need more mentors for more students to participate in the program, she said. I'm hoping that more members will recognize the value of mentoring, for the good of the profession as well as their own personal satisfaction that comes from helping young people. In addition to working with mentors and attending breakfast programs, students spend the summer working as interns in finance companies.
Internships give the students valuable work experience and further exposure to the securities field.
Students who complete the program before their junior year are eligible for the Heloise S. Ham Educational Scholarship Award. Overall, the students felt the SEMI program was great learning experience. It opened my eyes to so much in the finance profession, Dagher said. I learned about all these careers that I didn't know existed before. Dagher, who is majoring in International Finance and Marketing, says that after participating in the program, she is still very interested in finance and investments as a career and now has a clearer picture of what she wants to do.