“The stakes are real,” says Chris Smutny ‘05, president of the Blyth Fund, a six-figure student-managed stock portfolio that contributes to Occidental’s endowment. “It’s unusual to have students controlling part of the endowment, especially at a liberal arts college. We have a responsibility to protect it for the future.”

An economics major from Altadena, Chris is one of 14 members of the Blyth Fund, established 25 years ago to give students hands-on investment experience. “You don’t need to have a background in finance,” says Chris. “Decisions about investments can benefit from a range of viewpoints. Someone who is up on the politics in the Middle East may have more to contribute to a discussion about an investment in oil.”

Chris chose to major in economics because “it doesn’t pigeonhole you. You can do almost anything.” In his three years at Occidental he’s done just that--from serving as a member of the college budget and planning committee to starting a company called Box-it-Up that provides storage for students’ belongings during the summer.

As a member of Professor Woody Studenmund’s class on Advanced Econometrics, Chris and his classmates put theory into practice when they helped a Los Angeles-based grocery store chain develop a model to forecast new store sales. “It was a project that was possible only because we’re part of an urban center,” he says.

With more on his mind than making a fortune in business, Chris hopes eventually to pursue an MBA in economics and one day lead a large not-for-profit organization. “There’s more to life than increasing shareholder value, and I’d like to bring my skills to an organization that does something good for others.”