BRHS Student-Run Club Expands to Nine Schools

“Finance has a bad reputation, and it’s up to our generation to fix it.”

Announced by co-presidents Nayan Bhat and Arvind Anandacoumar, these words marked the first New Jersey State Conference of the Financial Leadership Development Club [FLDC], a new student initiative that has taken leaps and bounds since its conception just over a year ago.

The organization, started by students Bhat and Anandacoumar, began as an economics club at the school and expanded into nine different schools in just one year. Each school chapter runs and coordinates events that deliver on FLDC’s goal to develop student curiosity in finance as well as stress the importance of ethical financial practices.

The schools get together at the FLDC conference, where they can meet and exchange ideas with others who share similar interests.

Held at Raritan Valley Community College on March 27, the FLDC NJ State Conference brought together students from Bridgewater-Raritan, Marlboro, South Brunswick, Hightstown, Delbarton and Pingry high schools for a day of competitions and lectures by notable guest speakers.

Speakers included Sam Daley-Harris, founder of the Microcredit Summit Campaign; Maureen Hassett, senior vice president of governance and communications for the NJ Economic Development Authority [NJEDA]; Frederick Gomez, a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors and co-chair of the Leep Engage program at the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce; Stacy Jones, small business reporter at the "Star-Ledger"; and Arve Hantsveit, partner of ABG Sundal Collier and member of the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce and the New York Angels. 

The main events of the day centered on FLDC’s purpose of fostering student interest and initiative in finance, investing and economics. Attending students heard speakers relate their various experiences as financial professionals.

These speeches all had a focus on the positive and contributory role that finance plays in society, ranging from the assistance given to small businesses in New Jersey by the NJEDA to the large global impact of microfinance loans.

Students also had the option of participating in a variety of different competitions, including a “Stock Analysis” competition and “Economic Analysis” competition. The advanced-level “Stock Analysis” competition put high school students in front of Gomez to present their stock recommendations.

Top performers of these competitions received honorary plaques and recognition at the conference.

With a short but accomplished history behind it, FLDC has a future that looks especially promising.

Bhat, a junior—along with a cast of returning student board members including Sid Balaji, Aakash Jagdale, Steven Sun, Suraj Anandalwar, and Javesh Gandhi—has already begun preparations for next year’s conference.

Anandacoumar and student board members Nikita Shah and Franklin Yin, who are all seniors, plan to continue their involvement in FLDC.

FLDC plans to expand its reach and impact many more students in the years to come. With the vast amount of student support for FLDC and the backing of many prominent members of the financial community, a future where finance and economics have a positive reputation may not be so far after all.