PORT HAWKESBURY: Town Council is proud of a StFX student from the town.
During the regular monthly meeting on March 2, town councillor Jason Aucoin wanted to acknowledge business student Nathan Hayes who, along with two other StFX students, won the CFA Atlantic Investment Research Competition.
A graduate of SAERC, Hayes is a fifth year BBA student taking an advanced major in finance and BA major in economics, with a minor in business administration, according to a press release from StFX.
According to the release, the team represented the Schwartz School at the competition, which took place virtually on Feb. 13 and included six teams from Atlantic Canada, including Acadia, Saint Mary’s, Dalhousie, Mount Allison, Université de Moncton and StFX.
StFX now moves on to the sub-regional finals, the release said, which features the winners from the different Canadian regions, on April 12-16. Winners then move on to regional competitions in the Americas, Asia, and Europe, culminating in a global final, StFX said, noting that in 2020, over 6,400 students and 1,100 universities competed overall.
“We were ecstatic to find out we won,” Hayes said in the release.
This is only the second time in the event’s history that StFX has gone on to nationals, Aucoin told council, noting it is a prestigious event for students in the financial field.
Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton called it an “amazing accomplishment” for Hayes, who is the StFX team captain, and council agreed with her suggestion to send him a congratulatory letter.
In the competition, students are tested on their analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills, gaining real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst, StFX noted.
In the release, Hayes said the event was highly competitive as opposing teams included both undergraduate and graduate (MBA) degree students.
Hayes said in the release that competitions like these are essential for StFX students. Taking advantage of these competitions and extra-curricular activity really allows for students to gain essential experience as they move forward into the job market, he said.
He says a highlight of the event was being able to compete amongst other schools in the region and create connections, within their own community and also with competing schools, the judges, industry mentors and all involved.
Hayes added that it was tough to coordinate on different time zones during the break, while wanting to be home to relax and enjoy the holidays.