FCA Spotlight: Brandon Nolan

By Brandon Nolan, Gabelli 2014 & Fordham Career Ambassador

Being a part of the Fordham Career Ambassador program has been filled with nothing but good times and lasting memories. The trip I was able to take with my classmates and a few fellow career ambassadors to Washington, D.C. was no exception. A Fordham alumnus from the class of 1969, and current president’s council member, Ed Blount, hosted a trip for 25 students to get a backstage tour of Washington, D.C.

Mr. Blount used his connections throughout the D.C. area to score us many amazing opportunities. After arriving in Washington, DC we made our way to the Treasury where we had a one on one conversation with the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Neal Wolin. Mr. Wolin was excited to have us and provided us with some unbelievable insight into the direction that the Treasury was taking. The meeting was a complete question and answer session, and Mr. Wolin stayed past his allotted time, much to the dismay of his assistant, to make sure that all of our questions were answered. He was extremely knowledgeable on the different situations going on overseas, including Cyprus and the issues in Japan. (For more information on the visit, click here.)

Upon the conclusion of our intriguing discussion with Mr. Wolin we were lead out of the Treasury, down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the White House and into the Office of Budget Management. This visit was far more interesting than it may sound. At the time, Congress had just recently failed to pass the new budget, leading to the sequester cuts. Although the inability of the congress to reach an agreement on the budget cost us a chance to visit the White House, it provided us with a great topic in our conversation with Mrs. Blount. Mrs. Blount, Ed’s daughter, works for the Office of Budget Management, particularly with the defense budget. She provided great insight into many of the hot topics in budget management like Social Security.  She gave us the inside scoop on how the different departments try to increase their allotted budgets, putting much pressure on the personnel within the OBM to remain fair and balanced. Although the OBM can often be overlooked when we think about the offices within Washington, D.C., it plays a pivotal role in the workings of our government. It was extremely insightful to get the opportunity to learn about their role from Mrs. Blount.

After a quick lunch on Lafayette Square, overlooking the White House, we headed off to the Federal Reserve. 

The Federal Reserve and Mr. Bernanke have been pivotal in the recovery of our economy since the downfall in 2008. The Federal Reserve walks a tight rope by trying to balance the interest and inflation rates. We were lucky enough to speak with a representative from the Federal Reserve who explained to us what the Federal Reserve is trying to accomplish by keeping interest rates low. We were lucky enough to sit in the boardroom that sits adjacent to Mr. Bernanke’s office and is the site of the quarterly meetings between the twelve Federal Reserve presidents. The boardroom was decorated with different currency series dating back as far as the 1800’s. The history of the building and that particular room, accompanied with an informative and interesting speech made for another memorable experience in a day filled with them.

Our final stop was the Security and Exchange Commission. There we met with a panel of Fordham Law alumni who spoke to us about their positions and the ever-growing need for forensics and oversight in the financial industry. We spoke about the different cases in recent history, the Dodd-Frank Act, and how those particular professionals got to where they are today. The Security and Exchange Commission is a beautiful, technologically advanced building located outside of Union Station. Although it was the final stop of our long day, it was a great experience. 

We finished the day with dinner in historically beautiful Union Station and an Amtrak trip back to New York. Overall it was fun day filled with some extremely insightful presenters who provided us with a wealth of knowledge. The Fordham Career Ambassador program gave me a great opportunity to go on this trip and I am extremely grateful that I took advantage of the opportunity. Although I participated in the opportunity through the FCA program, there were 22 other students who heard about it by paying attention to the Career Services emails and postings. The opportunities are out there, as our Alumni are always providing opportunities for students to network. Be on the lookout, and jump on any opportunity you can, I promise you will not regret it!