UC business grads soar to new heights with Johnson Investment Counsel Lab

Meet the dynamic duo of Sharif Johnson and Patrick McNamara, two freshly minted UC business graduates, whose dreams have taken flight thanks to the transformative Johnson Investment Counsel Investment Fund scholarship. 

"With the Johnson Investment Counsel Investment Lab, we’re not just students; we’re financial warriors on a battlefield of growth potential,” exclaimed Johnson. McNamara chimed in, his face mirroring the same level of exhilaration. “We’re diving deep into the financial trenches, armed with knowledge and ready for success!” 

This is no ordinary classroom. The Johnson Investment Counsel class at UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business is a dynamic, hands-on investment experience where real money collides with a simulated trading floor. “It's a place where trading theories evolve into financial mastery using real investors’ money. It’s simultaneously nerve wracking and exhilarating at the same time,” adds McNamara.

This groundbreaking initiative catapults UC's business students and prepares them for the pulsating heart of the finance world. They're not just learning; the scholars say they're flourishing while honing their skills and preparing to seize future career opportunities.

"We're challenged to think critically as we unearth new companies and craft professional presentation pitches outlining their financial growth potential," Johnson explained.

“Think of it as academia on steroids,” beams McNamara. “We’re not just earning credits; we’re grasping the golden opportunity that is the Johnson Investment Counsel Scholarship.”

Awarded to one student each semester for producing the highest quality work, this financial lifeline is a gift from the generous Tim and Janet Johnson family, philanthropists whose vision has forever transformed the educational landscape of Lindner.

The Johnson Investment Institute and the Johnson Investment Counsel Investment Lab — with its tantalizingly real simulated trading floor — has blossomed into a sanctuary of business innovation.

“Throughout the Johnson Investment Counsel class we were answering inquiries about why we chose specific companies,” says Johnson. “For instance, what sets up JP Morgan differently than Bank of America? What sets Apple apart from Microsoft? We find the ‘why.’”

Indeed, it’s not just a classroom; it's a launchpad for the careers of future finance moguls, declare the scholars. It's where data-crunching transforms into calculated investments, and dreams of conquering the financial world manifest into tangible realities.

By the end of the Johnson Investment Counsel class, McNamara, Johnson, and their peers had prepared comprehensive and cohesive investment theses. It was an intensely formative experience that primed them both for a sprint into the real world of financial management.

While Johnson and McNamara received the scholarships in different semesters, their paths converged during their involvement in Lindner’s Investment Banking Club, a separate extra-curricular organization steeped in the art of investing, where they learned mergers and acquisitions and created financial case studies.