Students of the Biola University student investment committee with the Crowell School of Business recently competed against five other local colleges at the 2024 Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society of Orange County Request For Proposal (RFP) Competition in order to manage real money on behalf of the school they represent. This real money being managed is the result of the Biola Student Managed Investment Fund (BSMIF).

The Biola Student Managed Investment Fund manages over a quarter million dollars of real investment money.

“Students at the Crowell School of Business manage over a quarter million dollars of real investment money,” explained Dr. Shane Enete, associate professor of finance. “The students pitch stock ideas, design risk-efficient asset allocations, and ensure that the investment money is impacting culture in a way that is consistent with a biblical worldview. Hence, these students truly are thinking biblically about everything, including managing money. The student fund is currently beating the stock market by an impressive margin.”

The competition took place on November 22, 2024 with business administration major Kylie Kim taking home a prestigious scholarship. Biola students presented their investment process, economic views and recommended asset allocation in front of a panel of investment professionals.

“Biola competed against Cal Poly Pomona, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Long Beach State, and Cal State Fullerton with the top two schools receiving money to manage,” said Enete. “Long Beach State and Cal Poly Pomona ended up receiving the top two spots, but the judges were very appreciative of Biola's contribution to the event.”

Enete advises the BSMIF and is a proponent of encouraging students to think biblically about managing their money as a steward of God’s resources.

In addition to helping guide the efforts of the BSMIF, Enete recently held financial literacy workshops for students enrolled in a first year seminar course at Biola. Although the financial literacy workshops were intended for freshman business majors, most of the 344 students who attended were not first year students. The large interest in these workshops speak to the relevance of educating students on the importance of investing, building credit and budgeting.

The two main topics Enete covered in the workshops were budgeting and credit, both of which are invaluable for college students to learn as they manage financial responsibilities such as student loans or living expenses. Teaching students how to set up a budgeting system so that they spend less than they earn sets them up for financial success even after they graduate.

Enete taught students how to grow credit without actually using it as well as the best ways to achieve a 800+ credit score over time. Teaching students such things is helpful since it will allow them to access a low-cost mortgage and more desirable rental properties when landlords run their credit, according to Enete.

Enete’s new book, Whole Heart Finances, aims to help others steward God’s money wisely and one’s attitude surrounding money. Enete teaches these concepts in the Personal Financial Planning program in the Crowell School of Business. Through his book, he is now sharing his wisdom widely with a step-by-step approach to help Christians transform their views toward finances and learn to manage them in a God-honoring way. In addition to the book, there is an online, visual, four-course study to accompany it with helpful videos, graphics and questions that can be completed alongside the reading.

Learn more about and apply to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration in the Crowell School of Business.

Written by Katelyn Ho, strategic communication assistant. For more information, contact Media Relations at media.relations@biola.edu.