On Thursday, December 10, 2009, thanks to Charlie LaGanga, a new friend to CSIHSIS, senior Susan Yacca, juniors Teddy Thompson and Talon Turner, Global Finance teacher Lilliana Vendra, and I had an incredible learning experience visiting the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. There we spoke with the governors of the Exchange, spoke with traders and specialists, learned about their jobs and their training, and were able to ask questions about the Stock Market and careers associated with it.
We also learned the Charlie LaGanga is an extraordinary person who brings people together and believes strongly in giving back to the community, especially when the community is the young people who are our future. Mr. LaGanga spoke one on one with our students explaining that he came from modest beginnings and was fortunate in his life. He built a 38-year career at Drexel Burnham Lambert before becoming one of five partners to start Direct Access Partners, a Manhattan trading firm. To express his thanks for his good fortune, Charlie helps others and encourages young people to do the same.
For his endeavors, in business and in charity, Charlie LaGanga has been recognized as an Ellis Island Medal of Honor winner and was also nominated for the New York Post's Lifetime Achievement Liberty Award.
We are thankful to Mr. LaGanga for providing us with this opportunity and look forward to continuing to develop our relationship and to having him as a guest at our school. Thanks for giving of yourself to our students and our school! We all had a wonderful day, were inspired by you, and learned a lot!
5 comments:
Talon D. Turner
Class of 2011, Junior
12/17/2009
On December 10th Ms.Vendra, Mrs.Harowitz, Teddy Thompson, Susan Yacca and myself all went on a trip to the New York Stock Exchange. About two weeks prior this day Ms.Vendra, our statistics teacher, ask our class "who thinks they would be interested in finance next semester?" A couple of us said yes, but i never thought that i would be selected to go on a trip to the stock exchange. We were told to dress up in a suit jacket with slacks a shirt and a tie. I think we all looked very sharp. When we first got to Wall street we entered a tall building and waited for Mr.Charles LaGanga. While we were waiting Ms.Vendra taught how to shake hands with business people. We learned a lot in that couple minutes. Then when Mr. LaGanga came down stairs. He started telling us all about the history of the stock exchange and wall street.He told us how Dutch settlers had built a wall to protect themselves from Indians, priates, and other dangers. The path had become a bustling commercial thoroughfare because it joined the banks of the East River with the Hudson River on the west. The path was named Wall Street. Mr. LaGanga is a very cheerful man. He was like our tour guide. Everywhere we went someone said hi to him. It was kind of like he was a celebrity in a huge town. Mr.LaGanga took us to the "garage". The garage is a trading floor in the NYSE. He also took us to "the floor" where all the high tech computers and people are. The majority of the people that worked there were men. The brokers and other workers at the NYSE arent really given a lunch break so you constantly see people eating at there work area's. After the tour Mr.Laganga took us all out to eat at an underground restaurant. The food was great and we had a really deep conversation about our futures. I learned that Teddy could do C.P.R. and that Susan worked for U.A.U. helping kids with their homework and little girls with arts and crafts. We learned that Mr.LaGanga does a lot of community service in Staten Island. He told us how he help out single mothers that were trying to put their children through schooling at St.Rox. Overall this was really a cool trip.I learned a lot more than i expected and now I'm looking forward to taking finance class next semester. I think our school should do this trip again. This was definitely the best trip I've been on as a student at C.S.I. highschool.
When I think about finance I never would have thought I would be interested in working in the business the New York Stock Exchange. On December 10th, I was giving the opportunity that I can say many of my peers are not given. I was chosen along with Talon Turner and Teddy Thompson to take a trip to the New York Stock exchange with our statistics teacher Ms. Vendra and the principle of our high school Mrs. Horawitz. We were truly give the red carpet treatment and an opportunity of a lifetime thanks to Mr. Charles LaGanga. We went onto the floor of the stock exchange meeting a few specialists at work. The first specialist showed us how the stations worked. One person has the responsibility of watching a few monitor screen which show a list of stock such as McDonalds, Barnes and Nobles, and Walgreens. This specialist watches while people purchase these stocks. The second specialist we met showed us his station. This man had a few more monitors than the first, but that was because he was more of an analyst. His job is if anything goes wrong on the floor with buying of the stocks it is sent to his monitor screens a special phone will ring and he has the responsibility to fix the mistake. His monitor screens are different because all the information on the floor is sent to him in graph forms. After our experience on the floor we went to out to lunch. Sitting down at lunch gave us the opportunity to get to know my classmates a little better and to know Mr. Charles LaGanga. I was informed that he is a rather special person not only for the stock exchange and in Staten Island. He takes part in many campaigns, such as United Activities Unlimited. Which is an organization I have worked with for the past four years. I have had the chance to work with many of the same people as Mr. Laganga. We got to know what a giving person Mr. Laganga is. He has a special connection with teens and looks for every opportunity he has to work with our generation. This trip was by far my favorite trip in my whole high school career. This was an opportunity of a lifetime and I am very thankful I was a part of it. Thank you Mr. Charles LaGanga, Mr. Horawitz, and Ms. Vendra for this wonderful experience.
Our students were given an amazing opportunity to visit the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange). I really enjoyed meeting Mr.LaGanga because he is truly a remarkable person. Mr.LaGanga not only works on Wall Street, but his second job which is close to his heart is working with the youth of Staten Island and NYC. Mr.LaGanga showed us around Wall Street and the NYSE and explained everything in detail to us. I was also very impressed with Talon, Teddyand Susan. They were all very well dressed, well spoken, and well mannered! It is important for me as a teacher to not onlly teach my students content, but to also teach them about future career choices such as finance and real world issues such as inflation, budgeting, and how to shake someone's hand.
Teddy Thompson........The trip to the New York Stock Exchange on December 10th was one of the best trips i've ever been on. On this trip Ms.Vendra, Mrs.Harowitz, Susan Yacca, Talon Turner and I toured the Exchange with Charles LaGanga. Mr.Charles LaGanga is the best person to go to when touring the place. He is an exciting man, with tons of facts and history about the Exchange. He knows everyone there is to know. When touring the garage floor, we found out how each person mans there station and does their job. In this day in age, every job has to deal with computers. We found out the exact jobs and what they have to do. After being on this trip, I have been thinking a lot more about pursuing one of these careers, even though these jobs are highly stressful. After touring the Exchange, we went out to lunch. This is where i found out more about Mr.LaGanga and his active role in the community with volunteer work. I also found out about my peers and their volunteer work in the community as well.I learned a lot more and i am very appreciative for being on this trip. So thank you all for letting me take part in this wonderful experience.
My friend and I were recently discussing about technology, and how integrated it has become to our daily lives. Reading this post makes me think back to that debate we had, and just how inseparable from electronics we have all become.
I don't mean this in a bad way, of course! Ethical concerns aside... I just hope that as technology further develops, the possibility of uploading our brains onto a digital medium becomes a true reality. It's a fantasy that I daydream about all the time.
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