Student Investment Fund Surpasses $1 Million
News
This past October at Southern Adventist University, the Student Managed Asset Risk and Return Training (SMARRT) Fund surpassed a major milestone of $1 million in stocks. The initial $500,000 investment, entrusted to a group of School of Business students in 2019, is part of the university’s endowment. Earnings are used to continually support scholarships and student programs across the campus.
Last school year, the student team switched from investing in exchange-traded funds to single-equity stocks. This change led to an immediate increase in returns, accumulating a $272,000 profit in just one year. Business students have since achieved one of their top investment goals—to outperform the S&P 500, a benchmark average of the top 500 companies on the market. With a return rate nearly twice that of the S&P 500, the SMARRT Fund also outperformed several major hedge funds.
“One word to describe how I feel about this monumental milestone is ‘blessed,’” says Jonathan Amarandei, president of the SMARRT Fund team. “I’m beyond blessed to have had the privilege of being a part of such a talented group of individuals.”
Business professor Joelle Akiki, DBA, who serves as faculty sponsor of the SMARRT Fund team, highlights the hard work and dedication of Amarandei, Glenn Grakov, and Alicia Garver, senior finance majors; Kylie Mastrapa and Adrian Helm, junior finance majors; and Eric Barnuevo, senior accounting major.
“I’ve been blessed with amazing students who value what they’re doing,” Akiki reports. “I’ve seen Christ work in their lives. The financial world can be very aggressive, but I’ve witnessed these student volunteers always keeping their focus on God while managing the fund as part of their class requirements.”
In addition to growing the fund, students learn invaluable lessons in managing assets. Enrolled in the SMARRT Fund course, they receive Bloomberg Terminal certification in the Bloomberg Finance Lab and develop responsible trading practices alongside leadership skills. The program will be housed in the new Ruth McKee School of Business building, slated to open in Fall 2026.
Akiki is grateful for the opportunities her student team has been given through God’s provision. “God is blessing Southern,” she adds. “We need to be good stewards of the money we’ve been entrusted with, because we’re ultimately here to build the kingdom! It’s not about doubling or tripling money but rather using it for God’s glory.”
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