As part of the Future Business Leaders of America Region 3 Leadership Conference held at IUP for high school students on December 16, the Department of Finance and Economics offered breakout sessions. IUP alumnus Gabriel Kengersky (’25) and current IUP students Connor Bethmann and Dante Henry presented an overview of the IUP Student Managed Investment Portfolio (SMIP) and the Bloomberg technology opportunities that are available to all IUP students beginning in their freshmen year.
While an IUP undergraduate, Kengersky advanced through various SMIP student leadership positions and served as Bloomberg Lab student manager. For the 2026 calendar year, Bethmann was recently elected as vice president for SMIP, and Henry was elected to serve as both chief compliance officer and sector leader for consumer staples.
SMIP gives students the opportunity to have real financial impact. Students within the organization work together to help manage real assets with oversight and guidance from the Foundation for IUP and gain hands-on experience using real investment dollars. Experience like this may help students stand out when applying for internships and in the job market, because it conveys deeper exposure to working in the field of finance.
FBLA Region 3 participating area school districts include Brookville, Homer-Center, Indiana, Ligonier Valley, Marion Center, Penns Manor, Purchase Line, River Valley, United, and West Shamokin.
Hosting this conference continues to foster great opportunities to connect the past, present, and future across our alumni, current students, and prospective high school students!
From left: Gabe Kengersky, Dante Henry, and Connor Bethmann