For a typical business student, managing more than $1 million in assets or running a company of 200 employees might be a long-term career goal, but for four University of Dayton School of Business Administration students, that’s their daily responsibility.

Carolyn Haney, Bridget Momper, Ryan Huber and Elizabeth Anderson are student leaders of signature experiential programs in the School of Business Administration. These programs offer opportunities for students to ignite their passions and build impressive skill sets that help prepare them for great starting jobs and long-term career success. 

Carolyn Haney: Managing a million-dollar company

Carolyn Haney, a senior finance major, is the CEO of Flyer Enterprises, one of the largest student-run businesses in the nation. Haney and her team of nine executive staff and 200 employees managed to have a record-breaking semester in fall 2021 in spite of the pandemic, achieving almost $1 million in revenue and nearly meeting their overall goal of $1.3 million for the year. Getting there required Haney to manage disruptions, learn new skills and overcome personal hurdles. 

"I chose roles in Flyer Enterprises that weren't client-facing intentionally," Haney said. "As time went on, I naturally felt my comfort level rise, especially in my role as CFO last year presenting quarterly financial statements to our board of directors. As CEO, I didn't realize the role required so much public speaking, but it's the best thing to have happened to increase my comfort and confidence."

This confidence and experience prepared her for an interview with Fifth Third Bank. 

"In my interview, I spoke with them about Flyer Enterprises the whole time," Haney said. "They're used to seeing leadership roles, but it's different when you're managing a $1 million company and doing all of the things that it takes to run a business." 

She is set to start with the bank after graduation in their commercial associate program.

Bridget Momper: Managing $67.8 million in assets

A senior studying finance and international business, Bridget Momper is the senior manager of the Davis Center for Portfolio Management, the largest student-run portfolio in the nation. Momper leads a team of five associate managers and 54 members to manage and invest $67.8 million in assets for the University of Dayton and the Dayton Foundation. 

Momper will begin employment in fixed income trading with Jefferies in New York after graduation. She credits this to the supportive alumni network and her experience with the Davis Center. 

"When I was interviewing with different employers, University of Dayton wasn't necessarily a name that they all knew," said Momper. "But when they heard that we were managing the largest student-run fund in the nation, they were so impressed."

Momper has found support from alumni and wants to support others in the same way. Her role as senior manager includes building relationships and connecting students to opportunities. Recently, she built a relationship with Girls Who Invest, a national organization focused on women in finance, to help UD women get their feet in the door at some of the most prestigious financial institutions.

Ryan Huber: Investing for the common good 

As managing director of the Hanley Sustainability Fund, senior finance major Ryan Huber oversees one of just a few student-managed funds in the nation focused on environmentally sustainable businesses. Joining the Hanley fund his sophomore year helped him find his passion in doing business for a common good, and led to a job with Fifth Third Bank in their commercial middle markets program after graduation. 

"Business can be done to make the world a better place and not just to make money," Huber said. 

He and his team of 45 members score businesses on their sustainability practices to ensure each investment is in ethical alignment and will yield returns. Through challenging times and a volatile market, the Hanley fund grew 24% last year.

"Hanley gives you something that you don't really get in a lot of classroom environments," Huber said of his experience. "It gives you an opportunity to practice what you've learned in a real-world setting. We're not playing the stock market game, we're investing real money." 

Elizabeth Anderson: Empowering employees and communities

As president of Flyer Consulting, a student-run organization that provides business consulting to nonprofit organizations and manages two microloan programs, Elizabeth Anderson has learned about managing with transparency and clarity, seeking to motivate the best from her peers.

"Since Flyer Consulting isn't a company that pays their employees, the students are doing service work," Anderson said. "So I have done a lot of research on how to empower people, how to motivate them to do this work, to have fun with it, and not just to think that it's more homework since we are doing very technical work for our clients."

Anderson, a senior studying marketing and management information systems, oversees 55 students who work in groups to provide professional business consulting to six clients and run two microlending programs every semester. Managing Flyer Consulting has helped set her apart in landing a job and given her confidence in her career choice. She will join Avient Corporation in their marketing leadership development program after graduation.

"Joining Flyer Consulting was quite possibly the best decision I've made since coming to college," Anderson said. "Having that opportunity in an organization like this has really solidified what I like to do, and being able to practice it and see it through gave me a boatload of confidence going into my internship and the interviews for my full-time job."