Unknown to many students at Chaminade, this is one of the only schools in the St. Louis area to have its very own investment fund to teach students about financial responsibility and planning for the future. Founded at the end of the 2023-24 school year, the Hilltop Capital Fund is still very new and continuing to grow. It is a student-led club that meets every few weeks to discuss different financial topics, strategies, and adjustments to the fund.
In the spring of 2024, a very generous donor won money from a lawsuit that he was willing to give to Chaminade to support the start of a new club teaching financial literacy. After meeting with Dr. Guidry and laying out guidelines for the club, it was time for the students to decide what funds and investments would be best to buy. The members of the club gathered into groups and were assigned a particular size fund (small cap, mid cap, large cap) as well as a type of performance (value, growth, blend) with an allocation of the donated money. Then they put together a presentation of the different possible funds that could be invested in, and based on various factors, risks, and past performance, they were able to narrow down to the best possible fund for that category.
Along the way, the club also created different student leadership positions for the different tasks in the club. Some of these involved reaching out to alumni and current parents to bring in speakers who could talk to the club members about their position, the roles of their job, how they got involved, and the best steps students could take to learn more. So far, the club has heard from a hedge fund manager as well as a private equity firm manager, with many more special guests coming in the spring such as an alum who will talk about investing basics and how to get started. Additionally, the members began an individual investing simulation as a competition to see who can get the largest return over a period of time.
The fund started with the $250,000 that was donated. Since approximately April when the members chose what to buy, the fund has increased to $280,000 which is nearly an 11 percent return. The short-term goal is to increase the overall fund to $400,000. At this point, the school can take 5% annually out of the return and gift an entire year’s tuition to someone as a scholarship. However, the fund doesn’t plan to end here, and if the club can grow it to greater levels, it will.
Looking forward to the spring, the club will be holding a competition between students and alumni to see who can produce a greater return. Students are encouraged to join the Chaminade Investment Club at any part of the year if they are interested. The best way to get involved and to know when meetings are is to reach out to student leaders like James Todt, ’25, or Colin Keller, ’25, 0r email the moderators, Mr. Sartori and Mr. Kugler. As the club is still in its early stages, the current members are getting a chance to establish the club for the years to come. There has never been a better opportunity to come and participate in learning financial literacy than at the Hilltop Capital Fund.
