SEMI Program and Scholarship Fund 

We are no longer taking applications for the 2009/2010 SEMI Program.

In 1996, NYSSA established the Heloise S. Ham Education Scholarship and in 1997 launched its summer SEMI Program, which stands for Scholarship, Education, Mentoring and Internship. The objective of this program is to provide undergraduate college students who are pursuing degrees in finance or other related studies with a greater exposure to and understanding of the finance and investment fields.  Students are provided with a mentor and attend presentations covering various financial industry-specific topics.  In addition, as NYSSA members, students have access to the extensive contacts and resources of NYSSA. The result is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for NYC-area students who want to get a leg up on their careers.  Click here for program schedule.

Click here for more information on NYSSA Student Programs and Membership

About the Heloise S. Ham Education Scholarship Fund and the SEMI Program

The SEMI Program is a summer program open to undergraduate students who are enrolled full-time in a college or university in the greater New York area.  Applicants must have completed at least their sophomore year by the time the Program begins in the summer, be pursuing a major in finance or related study, demonstrate academic excellence and have an interest in the securities profession.

Scholarship — Established with initial funding from the estate of Heloise Ham, the Scholarship Fund was created to provide financial assistance to young people who are intent on pursuing careers in finance. Upon successful completion SEMI Program requirements, students are considered for a scholarship award..

Education — Students attend weekly breakfast presentations designed to supplement their education in finance and broaden their awareness of the investment field. These include small group presentations on topics such as the role of the analyst and portfolio management, investment banking, and careers in finance, all led by investment professionals. Students may also attend regular NYSSA presentations.
Student: “You get first hand information from people who do this kind of work on a daily basis.”

Mentoring — NYSSA members volunteer as mentors for these students for the summer, providing them with the benefit of their experience, expertise and advice. Both mentors and students report that their mentor experience was rewarding.

Mentor: “I wish there had been a program like this available to me when I was a student.”

Student: “My mentor went above and beyond the scope of his duties.”

             Mentor: “Students get a real world perspective from someone in the trenches.”

Internship — Investment companies offer SEMI participants valuable internship opportunities, allowing them to apply the knowledge they’ve acquired in class to practical day-to-day situations in the workplace.

NYSSA’s Heloise S. Ham Educational Scholarship Fund and SEMI Program could not succeed without the participation and support of these key partners:

• Students completing their sophomore year at colleges and universities in the New York area who are interested in pursuing a career in finance. Through their invaluable contacts with successful professionals in the securities field, students are challenged, encouraged and motivated as they build their careers.
  
• NYSSA members who volunteer their time to the students as mentors, meeting with them during the summer to offer advice, encouragement and the benefit of their professional experience. Mentors have an opportunity to “give back” by sharing their experience and knowledge with an aspiring analyst.
  
• Employers in the finance industry who are instrumental in building a professional, ethical and highly qualified labor pool to draw from in the future.
  
• Benefactors, both individual and corporate, who, like Heloise Ham, are committed to the education of tomorrow’s analysts, and who generously contribute to the Scholarship Fund.
  
• NYSSA, which offers participating students the access to its extensive contacts and resources to help them further their education and jump-start their careers.

The Heloise S. Ham Education Scholarship Fund and SEMI Program continue NYSSA’s long tradition of nurturing professional competence, ethics and excellence, providing a foundation for the personal and professional growth of analysts and the investment industry of tomorrow.

For more information or to participate in the Scholarship Fund and SEMI Program, please call NYSSA at (212) 541-4530.

Who Was Heloise S. Ham?

Heloise S. Ham, for whom our Scholarship Fund is named, led an impressive career in finance for over four decades and was one of the few women in the field when she graduated from Northwestern University in 1951. She began her career with Stein Roe & Farnham in Chicago handling industry research in electronics, consumer goods, retail and other industries. She then worked as a fund manager and investment counselor, earning her CFA charter in 1966. In 1968, she joined an investment company in New York where she managed a hedge fund, a venture fund, and individual and corporate portfolios. From 1971 on, she operated H.S. Ham & Co. in New York, specializing in financial consulting for individuals, corporations and financial institutions. In her private life, Ms. Ham was a racing sailor, a friend of New York’s parks, an avid reader and a gourmet cook.

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