On the Path to Success: Three Senior Finance Majors Talk Investment Club, Internships, and Invaluable Connections

Senior undergraduate finance majors Colin Murphy, James Kannally, and Kyle Keating all had their own reasons for studying the subject. Keating wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and chose the same course of study as him. Murphy was inspired by a love for problem solving and helping others. Kannally wanted to study mathematics through finance.

When each visited the University’s campus, a common thread emerged: they knew it would be the place for them.

“When I left Assumption after a visit, I knew I was going to come here,” Kannally, who is from Norfolk, Massachusetts, says. “There weren’t any ifs, ands, or buts, in my mind. I love the campus, I love the people, and I love the culture.”

“I chose Assumption for the academics,” Murphy, from Middletown, Connecticut, says. “I wanted to set myself up for a good career, and the academic preparation for that has been nothing short of excellent.”

“I wanted a strong business school like Grenon, and coming to campus and seeing Tsotsis and the Lagarce Trading Room just drew me in,” Keating, from Plymouth, Massachusetts, says.

The Lagarce Trading Room, created through the generosity of Jeff Lagarce ’76 and Sue (Daley) Lagarce ’80, is located on the first floor of the Tsotsis Family Academic Center. It features state-of-the-art equipment, including Bloomberg terminals that provide students with access to real-time financial news, data, and analysis.

“It makes finance feel real for the students,” says Assistant Professor of Finance Olivia Wu. “They work in the room, use Bloomberg terminals to research real companies and real market data. They are engaged—not just memorizing the terms but practicing finance. I believe it’s a big step from ‘I learned it’ to ‘I can do it’.”

The fund, made possible by Don Sullivan ’90, is an opportunity for students to research stocks in different sectors, choose which ones to invest real money in and, hopefully, see growth.

“We want our students to have a bridge between classroom learning and real investing in a structured way,” Wu says. “Through the investment club, they can do research, discuss ideas, and pitch stocks together. We use the club to expose our students to the real financial world—it’s a crucial piece of the finance experience at Assumption.”

Murphy, Kannally, and Keating all took the course, and say it has helped them learn hands-on how investing and the stock market work.

“Growing up, I downloaded an app that had fake money that would mimic the stock market,” Kannally says. “I learned a little bit from that, but using real money and knowing that you have attached gain or loss to the group you’re in, and the decisions you’re making, is integral to learning how to invest.”

“Our program prepares students by building both technical skills and professional competence,” says Wu. “They learn how to communicate professionally by writing reports and presenting investing ideas. The mix of rigor, real responsibility, teamwork, and communication training is what makes our program so distinctive.”

Alongside building the knowledge essential to the field, networking is an important skill in the professional world, and Murphy, Kannally, and Keating have all worked hard to make connections during their time at Assumption. Each of them has forged strong professional networks already, with help from Assumption faculty and alumni.

“I was at an alumni networking event here, and I met Ron Kubick (’90) who serves on the Grenon School of Business Advisory Board,” Kannally says. “I had a conversation with him, and he gave me a call later that week, which turned into an in-person interview at his office in Connecticut.”

That interview became an offer for Kannally—he will be starting a position after graduation as an Associate at Charter Diligence Group, where Kubick is Managing Partner and Founder. Kannally will be doing asset-based lending diligence at the firm.

All three also completed internships during their time at Assumption, creating connections for Murphy and Keating that became full-time offers.

Keating interned at Cambridge Savings Bank in corporate treasury last summer and will return to the bank as a Corporate Treasury Analyst after graduation.

“During my internship, I was also in the Investment Fund,” he says. “The experience working with the Bloomberg terminals here enhanced my internship experience, because that work went hand in hand, along with the work we did with market trends, market research, stock picking, and equities.”

After completing an internship with Pratt & Whitney as an F135 International Sustainment Finance Intern last summer, Murphy will join RTX, their parent company, as an Associate in the Financial Leadership Development Program, this summer.

“Professor [Smriti] Rao has helped me out tremendously in the internship search process, from interview prep to her courses that helped me in the real world,” he says.

Murphy’s advice for students looking to enter a career in finance is to try new things while you’re at Assumption; you never know where they might lead you.

“The biggest thing for me in developing my career was to get outside my comfort zone,” Murphy says. “I’ve learned so much. It’s helped me be a better person and land me on the path I am today in my career.”