Jaeden Patterson, a senior in the FAMU School of Business and Industry (SBI) is the winner of this year’s Bloomberg Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Trading Challenge, the company announced this week.
Patterson finished first among 60 students who competed in the real-world investing event on the Bloomberg Terminal learning risk management, investing and data analytics skills within financial markets.
Students invested $1 million virtual US dollars across securities while receiving support from faculty advisors and training from Bloomberg employees.
Fellow SBI student Jalen Mason finished third in the competition.
“The advice I would give to future participants is to take advantage of your resources,” said Patterson. “The mentor that was provided through the challenge helped me navigate unfamiliar functionality on the Bloomberg Terminal. Additionally, I was able to take the Bloomberg ESG Certificate Course, which enabled me to identify ESG investment strategies and apply them to develop a profitable portfolio.”
The Bloomberg and HBCU Trading Challenge exercises the financial acumen of college participants through a virtual investment competition on the Bloomberg Terminal. Geared toward Black students in the U.S who are typically underrepresented in the finance industry, the challenge was created to help HBCU students build marketable skills and knowledge needed to compete for finance jobs and provide hands-on experience that they will use in their future careers.
Students who participated in this year’s challenge were invited to Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York City. There, top-performing students had the opportunity to present their trading strategy to a panel of experts who offered feedback and insights on the students’ experience. Students who participate in the challenge also receive direct access to Bloomberg recruiters who provide professional development support around interviewing and resume creation.
Bloomberg continues to build relationships with HBCUs and contribute to cultivating the success of its students. By providing additional resources, like the Bloomberg Terminal, University professors can further enrich their coursework with the same tools that are used by financial professionals.