Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 11, 1 November 2011 — Buy? Sell? Or hold? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Buy? Sell? Or hold?

AKAMAI Finance Academy builds stock-sawy students

ByTreenaShapiro n early October, 51 students attending schools from Ka'ū to Kaua'i had a unique opportunity to spend three days on Wall Street. The students, participants of AKAMAI Foundation's Finance Academy, received privileged access to some of the hnaneial district's prominent landmarks with help from hnaneial professionals, many with ties to the Islands. Their trip included a private tour of the New York Stock Exchange, visits to the trading floors at JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley, and a tour of Bloomberg headquarters. At the stock exchange, some students stood on the trading floor when the opening bell launched the day's trading. Cody Howland, a junior at Le Jardin, says the experience was mellower than the hectic trading often seen on TV and in movies, but he says it still was one of the most exceptional parts of the trip. Another highlight was the trip to Bloomberg, where the students learned how to look up a variety

of information that will help them with their projects for the academy. At Bloomberg, Howland got a sense of what it would be like to work for the company, whieh is the No. 1 financial-data provider in the world. "They work hard to keep their employees happy," he notes, adding he didn't have an opportunity to sample to food laid out for employees. The 2011 AKAMAI Wall Street Field Study was made possible with a sponsorship from the Native Hawaiian Legal Defense and Education Lund, Kamehameha Schools and Pacific American Loundation. Lor some students, the trip to New York was their first time out of Hawai'i. The academy's programs require fundraising, but high school student participation is free at sites on the Neighbor Islands and O'ahu. Many of the participating schools are in economically depressed areas, including those with the highest concentration of Native Hawaiians. The academy offers free college and career preparation for students interested in finance professions.

The afterschool program provides guest speakers, finance education and finance career awareness training focusing on investment banking, private equity and asset management. Students are given access to Bloomberg terminals and other information sources to help them determine whether to buy, sell or hold on to their stocks. "I never thought about going into finance until last year," says Caitlyn Laborte, a Pearl City High School sophomore and part of the Kamehameha Scholars Team. "You can't do this in regular high school." Linanee is a lucrative field, with fierce competition for internships and jobs. The practical training in high school gives students a few years' edge over those who might otherwise not have similar training until college. Students often put in more than the one hour required eaeh week to meet their responsibilities for homework, community service and annual and monthly goals. By the time students reach that "golden window" between junior and senior year of college,

they've gained valuable experience that could make them stand out when vying for internships - and later, jobs - at investment banks, hedge funds and other Ananeial institutions, said AKAMAI Loundation Director and President Johnny Chankhamany. Lor the high schoolers, friendly competition ean make careerpreparation feel like a game. About 200 to 250 students statewide participate in the program, with 24 teams eaeh managing a moek $1 million S&P 500 stock portfolio. The money isn't real, but the competition is. Students carefully guard their passwords and resist revealing "trade secrets" in front of other teams. After all, they're playing for scholarships and other prizes - including cash. There's no cost to participating in the program, but students are expected to one day give back to their communities when they're able. "They know best where to give," Chankhamany says. George Kaapana, a junior at Wai'anae High School, says the program is an eye-opener that "basically helps brighten our future." Lor Harmozein Kaimana, a senior at Kailua High School, it's a way to further explore one of his interests. "I always liked business," he says. "I wanted to leam more about it. It's been really educational." Marisa Alderman, an 'Aiea High School junior, also a Kamehameha Scholar, said the AKAMAI Linanee Academy "opened up a lot of golden opportunities" for Native Hawaiian students who can't attend Kamehameha Schools. Due to the outreach program, "I have a greater interest and respect for the world of finance," she says.

Although not all schools offer the programon campus, Chankhamany says students ean participate on teams at schools nearby. Email staff @akamaifinanceacademy. eom for more information. ■ Treena Shapiro, a freelance writer, is aformer reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Honolulu Advertiser.

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George Ka'apana on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. - Phoio: Courtesy of AKAMAI Pinanee Academy