Student Shadow Program Builds Financial Literacy Skills
This winter, we had the pleasure of hosting two students from Northview High School – Gavin and Sam – through our six-week financial literacy student shadow program in our Sylvania, Ohio office. Through real-world learning experiences, the program helps high school students explore careers in finance, gain professional exposure, and build foundational financial literacy skills that we hope will serve them well beyond graduation.
Both Gavin and Sam brought curiosity, professionalism, and thoughtful questions throughout their time with us – meeting with team members across our firm and wrapping up the program with a presentation to our team highlighting what they learned during their experience. Their reflections remind us how valuable these exchanges can truly be – helping students explore future career paths while also giving our team fresh perspectives and meaningful opportunities to mentor the next generation.
What Gavin Took Away
Gavin shared that his experience connected his interest in finance with his passion for community impact, especially through his nonprofit, Cookies for Better. Conversations with different team members helped him see how strong operational systems, meaningful metrics, and long-term planning apply well beyond investing.
He also noted how collaboration across specialties – from analytical work to marketing leadership – demonstrated the power of diverse skills working toward a common goal. Ultimately, the experience reinforced his interest in a career that blends analytical thinking with community impact.
Gavin writes, “My time at SJS brought together everything I care about professionally and personally. Conversations with the team showed me how strong systems, communication, and planning apply not only in finance but also in the nonprofit work I’m passionate about. It confirmed that I want a career where analytical thinking connects with real community impact.”
What Sam Learned
Sam highlighted how the program helped turn his interest in finance into tangible professional exposure. Through meetings across different roles in the organization, he gained insight into investment concepts such as asset allocation, tax considerations, and retirement planning, along with operational areas like HR, client service processes, marketing, and branding.
He especially appreciated practical lessons on communication, systems, and teamwork – and even applied branding advice to his competition work with Business Professionals of America. The experience gave him a clearer understanding of how investment firms operate and how collaboration supports strong client outcomes.
Sam explains, “This experience helped turn my interest in finance into real-world understanding. I learned how investment decisions, client communication, marketing, and operations all work together. It gave me a clearer picture of the industry and helped me grow professionally.”
Why Programs Like This Matter
One theme both students emphasized was the importance of strong systems, clear communication, and teamwork – principles that apply whether managing portfolios, running a nonprofit organization, or preparing for a future career.
We’re grateful to Gavin and Sam for spending part of their senior year with us, for their thoughtful reflections, and for the energy they brought to our team. Supporting the next generation of professionals is something we take seriously, and experiences like this remind us how impactful mentorship and real-world exposure can be.
We look forward to continuing this program and welcoming future students eager to learn, explore, and grow.
Important Disclosure Information:
There is no guarantee investment strategies will be successful. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Diversification neither assures a profit nor guarantees against a loss in a declining market.
Advisory services are provided by SJS Investment Services, a registered investment advisor (RIA) with the SEC. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. SJS Investment Services does not provide legal or tax advice. Please consult your legal or tax professionals for specific advice.
Statements contained in this article that are not statements of historical fact are intended to be and are forward looking statements. All forward looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on various expectations and assumptions concerning future events and they are subject to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected.