Before Fred Fuchs ‘10, an Economics and Finance major, graduated from The University of Scranton, the future financial analyst already knew the pressures of managing a nearly $100 million endowment.  

As chairman of the Portfolio of Responsible Investments under Student Management – more popularly known as the PRISM Group ­­– Fuchs led the Kania School of Management’s student investment management organization, managing real money that is part of the University’s endowment.

The organization’s two main objectives are safeguarding and growing capital, and learning about the investments process.

Not surprisingly, it was Fuchs’ experiences at the University that gave him the confidence and knowledge to take on challenges in the financial world.

“A lot of professors at the University have really pushed me,” he says. “They gave me the opportunity to learn by making mistakes, and they were there to correct those mistakes.”

One of Fuchs’ finance professors in particular demanded more than others, never allowing him to settle for good when great was possible. 

“He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met, (but) eventually through him, I would find a job,” Fuchs recalls.

Fuchs didn’t just find success on campus; he interned at Verizon Wireless and worked as a summer analyst at Morgan Stanley while as an undergraduate.

From the moment he toured the University, the New Jersey native felt comfortable at Scranton, explaining, “Everyone seemed approachable.”

Once an enrolled student, his experience was just as positive, adding that he thoroughly enjoyed living on campus and building lifelong friendships. It’s an opportunity to “grow up with a whole bunch of people you are really good friends with,” he explains.

Whether in the classroom or on the Commons, Fuchs feels the University has prepared him for what lies ahead.

“I would put my education at Scranton up against any in the world, and I really mean that,” he says.