2019 - 2021 FMA Magazine

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS
FMA MEMBER NAMED
GRADUATION MARSHAL
IN SPRING 2020
“When I think of my future career goals and desire
to mentor women, it is largely shaped by the desire
to honor the legacy and impact that this institution
has had on my own life.” ~ Jenny Herrell
When Auburn Director of Financial Leadership Programs
Tracy Richard was asked to describe Jenny Herrell, a junior in
finance, she didn’t hesitate. “She’s amazing, driven, reliable, and
she’s loyal,” Richard said emphatically. “She gets involved and
encourages dedication from every person she comes in contact
with. I can think of no one more deserving of the Graduation
Marshal title”
Herrell reflects on her time at Auburn: As I near matriculation,
I reflect on my time at Auburn with a sense of awe – awe of
the mentors I have met, organizations that have bettered me,
and the undeniable luck that characterized this journey. I
entered my freshman year at Auburn relatively certain of my
career interests and intent on declaring finance as my major.
In finance, I found a convergence of my greatest interests – a
field that required analysis and the appetite for risk and an
environment best suited for individuals that thrive in dynamic
and fast paced situations.”
The first month of my freshman year I applied for and joined the
Financial Management Association (“FMA”) and the Auburn
Student Investment Fund (“ASIF”), where I began as a junior
analyst and eventually advanced up the ranks to sector director
and, now, Fund president. This organization evoked my passion
for investing, shaped my career interests, and allowed me
practical application of the concepts introduced in coursework.
More importantly, it placed peer and faculty mentors in my
life who pushed my boundaries, broadened my knowledge, and
demanded more from my work and research. Influencers like
Tracy Richard, director of Auburn’s financial leadership program,
who pushed me to apply to programs and conferences and to
develop my own sense of tenacity. Her stewardship rendered my
acceptance into Girls Who Invest – an organization advocating
for a greater female presence in the asset management industry
– where I was the first woman from an SEC state university
to be accepted into the program. Through the preparation of
both FMA and ASIF, I have had the opportunity to further
JENNY
HERRELL
my knowledge through internships, case competitions, and
conferences. More importantly, it allowed me an avenue to
mentor and invest in other young women, hoping to equip them
with similar opportunities. These experiences transformed the
lens through which I viewed finance; to me, finance is no longer
merely a number-based science; rather, it is the motor that drives
exciting growth opportunities that I can be a part of creating,
whether that be business, political, or philanthropic efforts.
Although it may sound cliché, I truly believe in the uniqueness
of the Auburn family – in the willingness of its members to
pour into others, better one another, and cater to all. Without
it, I would likely never have experienced the empowerment
that a career in finance can yield and never have met the many
Auburn men and women who have shaped me into the woman I
leave this university as. When I think of my future career goals
and desire to mentor women, it is largely shaped by the desire
to honor the legacy and impact that this institution has had on
my own life, and one of the many reasons I am proud to be an
Auburn woman.
42 FMA 2019-2021 MAGAZINE