In the summer of 2024, I attended the Essentials of Finance program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a two-week whirlwind of learning, connecting, and living the college life. I thought I would share a few pages of my EofF journal:

Sunday, July 14: Here We Go!

As I arrived at the Wharton School campus in Philadelphia, I was nervous and excited. I checked in and walked down the hall to my suite, which had three rooms — two singles and one double. My roommate Megan and I were in the double together. Michelle and Alex were our suitemates. While I had a lot of roommate anxiety, Megan and I hit it off instantly. We shared similar interests and spent late nights chatting about everything from finance to life goals. I was born in China and lived there until I was 6 years old, and Megan came to the U.S. from the Bahamas, so we shared non-traditional American upbringings. Yet here we were, at the oldest business school in the U.S., finding common ground. Even Michelle and Alex came from different coasts, one from New York City and the other from the San Francisco Bay Area. All three of them made my experience more memorable – we laughed, studied, and explored campus together.

One of the best parts of the program wasn’t just the time spent learning, it was also experiencing Philadelphia. After settling into our dorm rooms, our group toured the campus and the city. The tour was a great way to start the program, and it set the tone for the weeks ahead. That first day, we discovered Insomnia Cookies on campus, founded by two Penn students and now a national chain. Megan and I would return several times to satisfy our Insomnia cravings.

July 15 and Beyond: Classtime and Collaboration

Our weekdays were filled with instructor-led lectures from 9 to 4 p.m. Despite what sounds like a long day, it was engaging. The professors, who alternated throughout the program, were incredible, each bringing a unique style and energy to the material. They made complex financial concepts easier to understand through case studies and class discussions, and kept the lectures interesting. We also had industry guest speakers, a cool way to learn about real-world finance.

I found one guest speaker from the public accounting field especially interesting and informative.  Her presentation laid out clearly the complexities of financial statements for publicly traded companies.  We learned what goes into their preparation and the use of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as the governing standard. We also practiced interpreting these statements using ratio analysis.  We discussed how corporate boards, directors and institutional investors use financial statements to make decisions. We even touched on the basics of how to value companies with Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis. We covered a broad amount of material, and real-world examples helped to make the finance engaging.

We often broke into smaller groups that helped strengthen what we were learning. There, I felt my understanding really take root as I worked with my peers to understand venture capital, corporate valuation and the stock market. It also helped that we were constantly building toward a final project with our groups, so our time working together felt relevant and meaningful.

We had breaks throughout the day to recharge, and we had an hour in the middle to grab lunch. I’d usually spend that time with friends, exploring the food spots and getting to know each other better.

July 16: Weeknights with Olivia

My RC (residential counselor) Olivia played a huge role outside of class. Every evening, she would introduce us to different activities, keeping us occupied and engaged. The activities ranged from trivia game nights, making bracelets, eating Rita’s Ice (Italian Ice), watching movies, and dancing in silent discos, to name a few. They were always a great way to meet new people and build community. We were also given free time to roam campus with our friends.

July 17: A Wednesday on Locust Walk

The campus really stood out to me during my Essentials of Finance experience. It’s this beautiful blend of historic architecture and modern vibrancy. As I walked between lectures or met up with friends for lunch, I appreciated my surroundings:  the ivy-covered buildings, the grand libraries, and the open green spaces – all blended into Philadelphia’s urban experience. The atmosphere of youth and academia was even evident on the edges of campus, where we found student apartments, inexpensive restaurants, and the Greek life row. This backdrop was fundamental to my experience.

July 20: A Sweet Saturday

One of the social highlights of the program was our Saturday trip to Hershey Park, an amusement park a few hours away in Hershey, Pa. I couldn’t wait to take this trip!

We had a few hours to explore the park, and even though the lines were long, it gave Megan and me a chance to bond. We were with each other the whole time, and though “Candymonium” had the longest line, we hung in there because everyone was talking about this ride. After an hour-long wait, we found ourselves falling 77 feet in a little more than a second!  We were hooked and ended up trying four more roller coasters.

That Saturday at Hershey Park was about creating memories with new friends, and taking a break from the academic intensity of the program. It was the perfect way to recharge and enjoy a carefree day after a week of hard work.

July 23: Connections

During my second week at Penn, I had built some close relationships. Late one night I was sitting with my roommate on her bed and we started talking about our interests, our future plans, and what we each hoped to accomplish.

I remember feeling this instant connection as we opened up about our passions, including finance, travel and how we wanted to make a difference in the world. Even though we came from different places, this program brought us together to explore our similar dreams and ambitions.

That night I came to realize what made the two-week program special. It was not just about learning from great professors or working on projects, though those were also important; it was about the people I met along the way. I found myself among people from around the world, like Megan, who were driven by the same curiosity and excitement for the future. In such a short time, this program creates a space where friendships grow and where one feels part of something much larger.

July 26: Time to Go

As the two-week program at Wharton ended, the excitement of all we had learned was mixed with bittersweet goodbyes. On that final day, after packing up and heading down the dorm hallway one last time, my roommate and I stood by the door, both of us fully aware that we were about to go our separate ways. We hugged, and before we knew it, we were both crying. It was one of those moments where the weight of the experience and the friendship we had built really hit us.

Coming into the Wharton Global Youth Program, I wasn’t sure if finance was something I wanted to pursue. Was it just a passing interest? By the time I left, I knew I wanted to study it further, no matter where I ended up. The hands-on projects, late-night discussions with friends, and real-world examples shared by the professors made finance come alive for me. I left knowing this was a field where I could grow.

Hannah Goodwin, a 2024 student in Wharton Global Youth’s Essentials of Finance program, is a 16-year-old junior at Brookline High School in Massachusetts, U.S.