An Exclusive Look at the NYSE
Media provided by Peggy Chan
Thousands of New Yorkers pass by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) every day without a clue about what actually goes on inside. Yet, earlier this month , I got an exclusive look at what went inside the concrete walls of the exchange by joining the Investment Club for their first field trip to the NYSE.
This was a dream come true for many of the club’s members. It was a chance, as our tour guide stated, for Grace Church School’s students to witness firsthand the world capital of stocks, bonds, and trading.
The NYSE, with its iconic trading floor, left a lasting impression on everyone. The aura of the space, filled with traders, brokers, computers, and tickers, all conveyed the intensity that goes on in the financial world. For Rahul B. ‘25, one of the leaders of the Investment Club, the experience was especially inspiring. “When I saw the trading floor,” he shared, “ it inspired me to work hard to ring the bell and have my place at the greatest exchange in the world.”
Media Provided by Peggy Chan
Sasha Z. ‘25, the other leader of the Investment Club and organizer of the trip, expressed his excitement for the visit.“We are always looking for ways to engage our members and provide them with valuable experiences,” Sasha said. “This trip was one of our most successful ideas yet, and we are looking forward to more events in the future.”
The tour was not just a way for members to see how the stock market functioned but also a peek at what is in store for Investment Club members in the future.
For many of the students, this trip was a valuable eye-opener into the world of finance and trading. A member of the investment club, Sophia S. ‘25, described the visit as “a very educational field trip, and I’m very thankful we get a chance to have opportunities like this one at Grace.”
Our tour guide — Anna Melo, the NYSE archive curator — intricately described how the NYSE evolved from a simple piece of paper to what it is today. This deepened the club members’ understanding of how the financial system operates and how tickers actually work, letting us identify each number that was displayed on each company’s screen. It gave the club members a glimpse of what a career in this field might look like.
Looking ahead, the Investment Club is eager to continue providing opportunities to learn how finance or investment works in the real world. With leaders like Rahul and Sasha at the helm of the club, the future looks bright for Grace’s upcoming investors.
Ronan Kenyon ‘25, the author, is a staff writer for The Grace Gazette.