A group of Mrs. Shrem’s students is getting down to business this spring. While they learn about entrepreneurship, financial management, and how to operate a successful business, students in her Personal Finance and Business class are benefiting from a series of virtual speakers who are sharing their professional knowledge in the fields of finance, accounting, private equity, investing, and more.

So far, the class has welcomed four speakers, three of whom are familiar faces and part of the Storm King community. The first is an accomplished business journalist and financial advisor,  Momoe Ban Braveman, who is Daniel Braveman’s mom. In her presentation, she used graphs and visuals to highlight the basics of financial planning, building wealth over time, and reducing financial risk. The second speaker, investments expert Ruulke Bagijn (Jan Bagijn’s mom), logged on to talk to the class about private equity, investing, and compound interest. Most recently, Sean and Patrick Ryan’s father, Paul Ryan, gave the students a lesson in accounting, income tax, and related subjects including politics and tax laws. Daniel, Jan, Sean, and Patrick are all in the class. In addition, Mr. Daniel Ramer, a friend of Mrs. Shrem’s, gave a thorough presentation about recognizing trends and making smart investments.

“I appreciated how Mrs. Braveman answered my question regarding the comparison of the Gamestop/Reddit frenzy and a “Ponzi” scheme,” commented senior Mason Popowitz following the class. Sophomore Frank Fontana “really liked the graphs and visuals,” pointing out that they “enhanced his knowledge of the surge and helped him understand the rise and fall of stocks.” Other students commented that they learned the important difference between investing and gambling, public and private investing, and bonds, among other topics.

Mrs. Shrem has integrated the presentations into the students’ classwork. “I ask the students to work on preparing for the meetings the day before, they take notes during the presentations, and they are expected to ask questions afterward,” explained Mrs. Shrem. “As a follow-up, we have been writing thank you letters to each speaker that elaborate on what the students have learned and what they hope to learn moving forward. These presentations have been especially positive and engaging because the speakers are members of our community. It’s been a great experience so far for the class.”

Mrs. Shrem’s class will have more visitors through the spring semester. Their next guest is Frank Fontana’s father, who will talk to the students about small business ownership and related finances.