Twelve members of the Wall Street Scholars of Nebraska, a student organization in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Business, recently traveled to New York City to meet and network with investment bankers and investment professionals.
The experience provided them with firsthand exposure to the financial industry’s most competitive firms. The opportunity was made possible with support from Matt and Natasha Plooster, and Bridgepoint Investment Banking.
The trip, dubbed “Bridgepoint U,” gave the group’s members an opportunity to connect with industry leaders. They met with analysts to partners at 13 firms: Adams Street, Blackstone, Deutsche Bank, Digital Bridge, Goldman Sachs, Guggenheim, Lincoln International, Mizuho/Greenhill, Moelis, Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, Perella Weinberg Partners and Piper Sandler.
The following students, listed alphabetically by hometown with their year in school and academic major(s), participated in the trip:
Nebraska
Doniphan:
- Abreham Stutzman, junior, finance and accounting
Elkhorn:
- Kyler Evans, junior, finance and economics
- Alec Franksmann, sophomore, finance
Fremont:
- Cooper Taylor, senior, finance and accounting
Lincoln:
- Will Blatchford, junior, finance and economics
Omaha:
- Jude Dunwoody, sophomore, finance and accounting
- Noah Nordstrom, senior, finance and accounting
- Christian Thomas, senior, finance
- Jack Thiele, junior, finance and accounting
Plattsmouth:
- Jack Welch, junior, finance
Elsewhere
Naperville, Illinois:
- Matt Ligeski, junior, finance and accounting
Overland Park, Kansas:
- Miles Wirth, junior, business administration
The group’s president, Christian Thomas, said face-to-face interactions are invaluable in the highly competitive fields of investment banking and asset management.
“A lot of the top target schools — primarily Ivy League institutions — have these firms come to their campuses, which isn’t something we have access to in Nebraska,” he said. “By traveling to New York, we not only demonstrated our commitment to these careers, but we also got our names and resumes in front of recruiters who may not have otherwise considered us.”
Kyler Evans, a junior finance and economics major from Elkhorn and the group’s vice president, emphasized how the trip accelerated career opportunities.
“Investment banking recruiting happens at an incredible pace,” Evans said. “I’m looking for internships that take place during the summer after my junior year. I had interviews lined up while we were in New York and even had to change my flight to Houston for a final round interview. This trip was a major differentiator.”
Bridgepoint Investment Banking, founded by Matt and Natasha Plooster, played a critical role in making the trip possible. A Nebraska native and the firm’s CEO, Matt Plooster understands the barriers Midwest students face in breaking into Wall Street. He worked 10 years on Wall Street for Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank before returning to Nebraska to co-found Bridgepoint.
“When I was a student, these opportunities didn’t exist,” he said. “But Nebraska students are just as smart, talented, hardworking and capable as those from top recruited schools. Nebraska’s finance students always stand out to me with unparalleled work ethic and tenacity. They are hungry, determined, mature and work incredibly hard. I tell everyone they would be wise to hire more Cornhuskers.”
More than 20 Nebraska students have interned at Bridgepoint throughout the years, Plooster said.
“Nearly all of them have gone on to careers at Bridgepoint or other major investment banks or private equity firms,” he said. “This is one of the impacts Bridgepoint has had that I am most proud of.”
Bridgepoint also helped students prepare to make the most of the trip.
“We thought it would be incredibly impactful to get these students to some of the leading financial firms in the world and help them build relationships that could lead to real career opportunities,” Plooster said. “It was a great team effort, as other members of the Department of Finance Advisory Board at the College of Business joined in lining up the firm visits and making introductions.”
Thomas said the Wall Street Scholars of Nebraska hope to make Bridgepoint U trips a recurring opportunity for their members.
“We are looking forward to continuing this new tradition and providing Huskers with the opportunity to compete for the most competitive positions across finance for years to come,” he said. “We’re incredibly grateful to Bridgepoint and the alumni who made this happen. Thanks to their support, this is only the beginning.”
