Jarad Mitchell, a senior finance major and Bulldog Investment Fund analyst at Samford University’s Brock School of Business, has been awarded a scholarship to prepare and sit for Level I of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam.

 

The CFA designation is widely regarded as the most prestigious credential in the investment management profession. Level I is the first of three rigorous exams Mitchell will take toward completion of the program. In addition to successfully completing the exams, the certification requires 4,000 hours of work experience and adherence to a strict code of ethics.

 

Samford is an affiliated university of the CFA Institute, a global nonprofit organization that aids investment professionals with financial education. This partnership provides Samford students with professional experiences, quality education, and a high standard of ethics that help prepare them for pursuit of the CFA charter. The affiliation also allows Samford to award scholarships for students to take various levels of the CFA exam required to achieve the designation.

 

Mitchell looks forward to preparing for the CFA exam, which will further equip him for a career in finance. “I am drawn to the CFA for its global recognition as the most professional credential in the industry,” he said. “The analytical skills and ethical framework emphasized by the exams will be instrumental in my development as a finance professional. I believe my studies of this curriculum will help me enhance my current skill level to navigate complexities and solve problems in my future career.”

 

This summer, Mitchell completed an operations internship with StoneX Group in Birmingham, Alabama. StoneX Group Inc., headquartered in New York City, is an institutional-grade financial services franchise, offering advanced digital platforms, end-to-end clearing and execution services and global market expertise to clients worldwide.

During his internship, Mitchell worked in the Special Handling sector as an introducing broker-dealer for over-the-counter securities. “I gained a firm understanding of the trade process from trade order to settlement while obtaining my securities industry essentials credential,” he said. “I also had the opportunity to work with different software and order management systems used by the firm to complete various tasks and projects.”

 

Rusty Yerkes, associate professor of finance, is the principal contact for the university partner program. He said, “The CFA credential opens doors to career opportunities not otherwise available and accelerates the career trajectory. It is a difficult undertaking but has a great ROI. We congratulate Jarad on taking this important first step in completing the program.”

 

In September, Samford was ranked No. 8 in the nation for career preparation in The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025 list of the best colleges. This opportunity for Mitchell is a testament to this ranking, which emphasizes Samford's quality of networking opportunities, career support and applied learning.