UC Merced Pilots Summer Investment Academy to Help Students Build Skills, Connections

By Brenda Ortiz, UC Merced

October 8, 2026

Twenty-six first-year students participated in UC Merced's first Summer Investment Academy on campus.

Key points:

UC Merced launched the Summer Investment Academy to help students build financial literacy, professional networks and pathways into finance careers before their first semester.
Participants explored investing, entrepreneurship, personal finance and venture capital through hands-on instruction and mentorship from finance professionals.
The academy builds on the success of the UC Investments Academy, which has engaged more than 4,500 students across the University of California system.

For a group of incoming first-year UC Merced students, six days spent learning directly from investment professionals provided a crash course in investment management, financial careers and networking.

A group of 26 undergraduates — representing 15 majors ranging from economics and business administration to electrical engineering and biological sciences — attended UC Merced’s first Summer Investment Academy in August. They moved onto campus a week before classes began.

For Sariah Bravo, a sociology major from Turlock, the academy provided something she had long been searching for: a community of peers equally passionate about investing and entrepreneurship.

"I never had a group of people who cared about the same things,” Bravo said. “So, when UC Merced sent out the email about the Summer Investment Academy, I saw a chance to finally be surrounded by people like me."

The immersive summer program is a spinoff of the UC Investments Academy, a University of California initiative designed to prepare students for meaningful careers in finance. Managed by Craig Huie, managing director of private credit, and Jack Zhu, senior investment analyst for public equity, the academy was piloted by UC Merced in 2022 with 100 students, and has since expanded to all nine undergraduate campuses, engaging more than 4,500 students.

"The Summer Investment Academy is an investment in student success from day one. By bringing students from a diverse set of majors to campus early, we are creating opportunities to explore pathways into finance and investment management, connect with peers and develop meaningful relationships with faculty and industry leaders," said Kurt Schnier, UC Merced's vice chancellor for planning and budget and chief financial officer. "Through our partnership with the UC Office of the President, we were able to extend these experiences to more students and create value for employers and industry partners seeking the next generation of talent."

Students participating in the Summer Investment Academy heard from financial professionals, entrepreneurs and campus leaders.

Throughout the summer academy, funded for multiple years by the UC Office of the President, students heard directly from financial professionals, entrepreneurs and UC and campus leadership, including Schnier, Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Huie and Zhu.

“On the first day, I met the chancellor and I knew immediately it would be different from anything I had imagined,” Bravo said. “We were going to leave with a long-term impact because of this academy.”

Associate teaching professors Justin Hicks and Jason Lee of the Economics and Business Management Department led the summer academy, developing the curriculum and guiding student instruction. Prior to their academic careers, they worked in financial services and attained their FINRA Series 7 licenses, among other professional credentials, giving students insight into real-world industry experience.

“We had 12 educational modules that were delivered throughout the week, and they were basically a taster of business, finance and entrepreneurship,” Hicks said.

Students were introduced to topics such as personal finance, investing, business startup, entrepreneurship, venture capital, accounting and ethics.

“We have such a special opportunity at UC Merced to reach students who don't have any mentorship in personal finance basics, how to budget, how to build a basic portfolio and the risks and rewards associated with these,” Hicks said. “I opened my Edward Jones accounts and went through all my holdings … they’re getting truly real-world exposure.”

Three students Listening to a presentation

For Iggy Hadjaj, the Summer Investment Academy expanded his industry knowledge and professional network through connections with guest speakers and faculty mentors.

For business administration major Iggy Hadjaj from San Francisco, the summer academy offered the opportunity to strengthen both his knowledge and professional connections.

Hadjaj said the program’s guest speakers were especially valuable, providing firsthand insight into career paths and industry trends.

“Going to the Summer Investment Academy unlocked many doors for me, including developing relationships with my business and economics teachers,” he said.

Bravo said she had gained more than technical knowledge. She was especially inspired by Laura Moreno Lucas, general partner of L'ATTITUDE Ventures and Libra Fund, whose insights on real-world investing and entrepreneurship resonated with her.

“I arranged a one-on-one call with her, and she walked me through the steps she took to build her clothing brand, including how she worked with manufacturers,” Bravo said. “Getting that level of detail from someone who has done it gave me ideas I'm taking into my own career.”

UC Merced alumni also offered a look at the investment and finance world. James Kirby, ’09, CEO of Saxa Innovation; Tiler Fears, ’23, M.S. ’25, client account manager at Albourne; Gehad Elhanafy, ’23, business development program manager at BEAM Circular; and Tatiana Howell, ’24, wealth management analyst at Goldman Sachs shared their professional experiences with the participants.

Fears and Howell, both former participants in the year-long UC Investments Academy, shared how the program helped shape their career trajectories.

After a week of learning, analysis and collaboration, teams of three to four participants put their skills to the test in a pitch competition.

“They researched a company, came up with an investment thesis, and then pitched that thesis to a review board on the final day,” Hicks said. “The students were exposed to a lot, and they ended up producing very high-quality stock theses and pitches.”

“The most important lesson I learned is that you build your future through connections, risks and opportunities that make you uncomfortable, because they tend to lead to greater success and new networks,” Bravo said. “I went from only studying this world to sitting in a room full of motivated, brilliant students who shared my interests. I left with friendships, new skills, more confidence and the drive to keep growing and creating.”

UC Merced students interested in attending the year-long Investments Academy can apply online.