Student-managed Investment Fund

Real trades, real time. Real world.

Imagine being in charge of a $300,000 investment fund, buying stocks and bonds on the financial market.

At Lynchburg, you don’t have to imagine it. At the Student-managed Investment Fund (SMIF), Lynchburg students manage a $300,000 investment fund and gain real-world financial market experience. They use the Bloomberg Terminal and other tools and can become Bloomberg-certified at no additional cost.

Initiated by Cole Barrett ’17 and Zack Engelmann ’17, the Student-managed Investment Fund is designed to offer lasting educational benefits and career advantages, providing students with practical market knowledge and an impressive resume builder. Graduates from the program have gone on to work with top financial firms like Standard & Poor’s, Aegon USA, and Morgan Stanley.

Professional Experience

As a member of the Investment fund there are opportunities to acquire Bloomberg certification, travel to conferences and forums across the nation, and make formal presentations to colleagues, faculty, and University Board of Trustee members.

Learn more

Rebecca Taylor works at a computer in a trading room with a stock market graph on a screen in the background.

The Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) was a key component of my education and experience at Lynchburg. It allowed us the opportunity to practice—in a controlled environment—what we’d been learning in the classroom, with real financial implications. I frequently discussed my experience with the SMIF in job applications, interviews, and still lean on lessons learned. When traveling to Chicago to connect with similar funds, we realized how much freedom was granted to members of the Lynchburg fund. This autonomy in decision-making was a great opportunity and responsibility.

Jeremy Johnson ‘23
DUKE Master's Fuqua School of Business '24
Knowledge Capital Group - Charleston, SC

Invaluable Opportunity

“I gained applicable knowledge to my field, but I also gained an interesting story to tell recruiters. I got to describe something that I was passionate about. That was certainly the most valuable.” — Cole Barrett ’17

Undeniably Life-Changing Stories

Haleigh Casey '25

"The fund gives the power to the students by placing all decision-making in our hands, meaning that we take ownership of both the successes and failures."

Sam Alheit '24

"Before I wasn't really too sure what I was gonna do but after joining the investment fund I learned about the importance of different internships."

Cooper Brewen '23

"The investment fund taught me skills that easily transferred over to my work in asset allocation that I now do full-time."