Colby-Sawyer College investment management students have generated enough profit through real-world investments made since 2010 to partially fund an upgrade to the campus’s Wi-Fi network.

Students in the college’s investment management course have been investing in the stock market since 2010 using a fund established by Suzanne ’66 and John Hammond with an initial investment of $25,000. Since its creation in 2008, additional gifts to the Suzanne ’66 and John Hammond Student Managed Investment Fund have totaled approximately $306,000. Through student-managed investments, dividends and capital appreciation, students have grown the portfolio to its current value of more than $783,000.

“Initially seeded by the generosity of donors like Suzanne and John Hammond, the student-managed investment fund is a unique opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in investing by managing a pool of significant funds,” Colby-Sawyer College President Susan D. Stuebner said. “It is inspiring to see how well the students have done with their investment choices to grow the fund to such a large amount.”

This summer, a portion of the fund’s earnings will be used to support a Wi-Fi upgrade in 11 residence halls, the Susan Colgate Cleveland Library/Learning Center, the Colby Homestead and the Dan and Kathleen Hogan Sports Center. Profits from the student-managed investments are contributing $350,000 toward the total cost of the Wi-Fi upgrade, which is in excess of $600,000.

“It was an incredible experience, learning course concepts and determining how to manage the quickly growing portfolio,” said Bryce Carlson ’21, who took the Investment Management course for credit twice with Business Administration Professor Jody Murphy before serving as her research assistant during his senior year. “We had an opportunity to make a direct, massive impact on student life on campus. After all, we do not benefit from our performance whatsoever unless we utilize those gains for our community in some way.”

The more than $400,000 not used for the Wi-Fi upgrade will remain in the Suzanne ’66 and John Hammond Student Managed Investment Fund for next year’s student-managed investments. The Wi-Fi upgrade is expected to be completed before students return in the fall.

“It is admirable that the students are willing to reinvest their earnings into the campus improvements for Wi-Fi, which will benefit every student on campus,” Stuebner said. “I am very proud of how well students across the years have utilized this incredible opportunity for teaching and learning and grateful for their generosity to campus.”