Student-managed fund tops $1 million under management
The Gator Student Investment Fund (GSIF) reached $1 million under management in February.
GSIF is a student-managed investment fund that gives members a realistic asset management experience. As of March 2021, the value sits at $1,043,909. In March 2019, the fund sat at $561,667, but it has grown to cross the $1 million mark this year because of the generosity of alumni and friends who understand the real-world impact GSIF is having on students who are prepared for their future careers.
Nineteen Warrington alumni have invested capital to help the fund reach these exciting numbers with gifts ranging from $500-$300,000.
The fund also gives annual donations to the Warrington College of Business and the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program, which assists historically low-income, first-generation college students in meeting their college costs.
In early 2021, GSIF distributed $18,000 to the Machen Florida Opportunities Scholars Program and $6,000 to Warrington. In early 2022, the fund projects distributing $31,300 to the Machen Florida Opportunities Scholars Program and $10,400 to Warrington.
Students in GSIF are experiencing the benefits. As two of the four Portfolio Managers from Spring 2020 to Fall 2020, Jim Maguire and Matt McGarry have seen first-hand how the fund prepares students to make an immediate impact during their internships and full-time careers.
Maguire and McGarry will both begin their careers this summer as investment bankers for Evercore’s New York City mergers and acquisitions team.
“GSIF was the single most impactful catalyst for my professional development at UF,” McGarry said. “The fund not only cultivates the hard and soft skills necessary to succeed in the professional industry but also solidifies each member’s network with the top finance students at our university. GSIF’s greatest strength is perhaps its “pay it forward” culture among older members and alumni. Anecdotally, the fund connected me with the mentors who guided me through the recruitment process. During my time as a Portfolio Manager, I tried to follow suit by always finding time for coffee chats and mock interviews with freshmen and sophomores.”
Maguire added, “The technical work done in GSIF is closely related to that of a job in high finance. As a result, what students learn has significant overlap with what they see in job interviews as well as on the desk. This gives the students an edge when going through the recruiting process as well as during internships. Additionally, GSIF tries to mirror the process of an actual asset manager, which helps us attempt to replicate a real-world asset management experience.”
