Finance Club is home to High Tech’s major finance and economics competitions. Members can work in teams to research markets, analyze companies and economies, develop investment strategies, debate policy solutions, and present their conclusions. We are also High Tech’s community of math people, debate kids, computer science students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone else interested in understanding how money, markets, businesses, and economies work. People of all talents and backgrounds come to Mr. Brown’s Room 110 every week to discuss financial news, debate economic issues, learn about investing, hear from professionals, and explore topics that often do not fit neatly into any one high school class.

One of the biggest parts of Finance Club is hearing directly from people who actually work in industry. Throughout the year, the club hosts guest speakers in the sectors of finance, business, government, economics, and related industries. Last school year, we hosted Holly Migliaccio (Co-Founder of Rook Coffee), Jeff Baus (CEO of Groome Industrial Service Group), and Denise DeAngelis (Senior Portfolio Manager at ZAIS Group). These meetings give members an opportunity not only to hear about what professionals do, but also to ask questions about their careers, the decisions they make, and the paths that brought them there. Whether you already have a career in mind or have absolutely no idea what you want to do, our guest speakers are a chance to learn about fields you may not have encountered beforehand.

Our competitions are one of the best ways to take the ideas discussed during meetings and actually use them. If interested in competing, make sure to check out Tab Three (“Events and Competitions”), where you can learn more about the competitions Finance Club participates in, what each one involves, and how to get involved.

But Finance Club is not only for people who already follow the stock market or know what the Federal Reserve does. You do not need any previous knowledge of finance or economics to join. Some members arrive knowing exactly what they want to study; others come because a friend brought them to a meeting or because something in the news caught their attention. The point is to create a place where students with very different strengths can bring those strengths together.

A computer science student might approach a problem through data. A debate student might focus on constructing an argument. A math student might dive into the numbers. Someone interested in politics might care about economic policy, while someone interested in entrepreneurship might want to understand how companies raise money and grow. Finance Club gives all of those students a place to meet, learn from one another, and apply what they already know.

At the end of the day, Finance Club is less about already being a “finance person” and more about being curious. If you want to understand why markets move, how companies make decisions, why governments adopt certain economic policies, what careers exist in finance and business, or simply what everyone on CNBC is talking about, Room 110 is a pretty good place to start.

• HTQF
  The High Tech Quant Fellowship is a 6-week quantitative finance fellowship where participants learn the fundamentals of quantitative trading in a curriculum co-designed by actual quant researchers. At the end of the program, students will be able to write their own quantitative script to compete against the investment group on returns for risk taken.

• SIFMA
  SIFMA is a self-led competition where students in groups of four to six have access to an online stock market simulator. Together, they learn about strategy-building, teamwork, communication, risk, diversification, company and industry analysis, and many other aspects of investing.

• Diamond Challenge
  The Diamond Challenge is an opportunity for high school students to compete and learn about entrepreneurship. You develop ideas and winners can get funded to develop their ventures and support higher education.

• Blue Ocean
  The Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition is a virtual competition that attracts the very best high school entrepreneurs from all over the world. Every year, thousands of high school students pitch their innovative business concepts to experienced entrepreneurs and business people, join a community of like-minded students, and compete for thousands in cash prizes.

• Club Competitions
  HTHS Finance runs quarterly/semesterly club-wide competitions in partnership with Debate, Research, and more, fostering internal competition.

• USAEO
  The USA Economic Olympiad is a self-study competition that is held once a year, testing various economic skills. While progressing through USAEO lessons, students gain a sharper understanding of the underlying skills to succeed in this field.