3X Defending Champs!
Huntsman Students Win the Women’s Stock Pitch in Williamsburg, VA for the THIRD Year in a Row!
The Women’s Stock Pitch & Leadership Summit at William & Mary was launched in 2016. The purpose is to motivate women to consider careers in finance and provide opportunities for women to compete at the highest-level using skills they learn in the classroom. The Huntsman School sent representatives to the Women’s Stock Pitch for several years before they started competing in 2021. HSB women have taken first place the past three years which is an unprecedented achievement.
In 2024, Emerald Spencer, Kaiya Green, Agustina Gularte, Grace Aspittle and sophomore representative Grace Engst defeated teams from Carnegie Mellon, NYU, University of Oxford (UK), Penn State, UConn, Notre Dame, UPenn, University of Sydney (Australia), Virginia Tech, William & Mary, and others. The event sponsors represent some of the biggest and most successful companies in financial services. Students network with professionals working in financial services who judge, mentor, and coach students throughout the summit.
Tell us how the Huntsman School prepared you for this event.
Emerald: "The motto of 'daring mighty things' means to me that I will say yes to an opportunity even if it’s intimidating. I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by awesome faculty, staff, and students that have confidence in me for moments I don’t have it for myself. My biggest skill sharpened at the Huntsman has been presentation skills. I feel confident speaking in front of people thanks to all the practice opportunities provided both inside and outside the classroom. They’ve created a student driven school and widely celebrate student success which creates momentum for more to dare mighty."
How did it feel to win?
Kaiya: "Honestly we were all so shocked because it is one thing to walk in and be prepared and give your all, but another to not know who you are going up against. All I can say is the Aggies can dominate anywhere they go."
Tell us about the matching shoes and comradery/friendship you formed.
Kaiya: "Our matching shoes were designed not only to make us stand out but also to uphold USU’s reputation for spreading joy. Initially, we received curious stares for wearing bright pink shoes in a professional setting. However, we quickly became the talk of the event, with everyone eager to meet the girls in the Skechers who had just outperformed some of the top schools in the country."
Who helped you the most during this experience?
Agustina: "I owe a great deal of gratitude to our mentors, Paul Fjeldsted, Angela Luo, and Janette Goodridge, whose guidance was invaluable throughout this journey. Their insights and feedback were crucial in refining our pitch. They were with us every step of the way and we couldn’t have done it without them. My teammates also played a pivotal role; their dedication and expertise made this experience both successful and enjoyable."
How did this experience help you grow as a person?
Grace: "Participating in the stock pitch competition pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop important soft skills like public speaking and teamwork. The experience taught me the value of thorough research and the importance of articulating my ideas clearly and persuasively. It also taught me a lot about working in a team dynamic and being able to be adaptable to new situations."
Read about each of their experiences at The Women’s Stock Pitch & Leadership Summit at William & Mary.
2022 Team
2023 Team
2024 Team