Westminster College Economics and Business Department Host Summer Analyst Program

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Westminster College's Department of Economics and Business hosted a Summer Analyst Program presentation in September.

Three students and an alumna successfully defended a financial analysis of a publicly-traded company in front of a panel of expert judges. The program is an experiential learning event designed to replicate an internship on Wall Street. Student intern analysts review more than 1,000 pages of publicly-available financial documents and use real-world methods to prepare a market standard financial analysis of a publicly-traded company under the supervision of a professional financial analyst.

The students include:

Ann Bayma, a junior international business and accounting major, is a daughter of Edmund and Rose Bayma of Warren, Ohio, and a graduate of Howland High School.

Harry Bittle, a senior financial economics major, is a son of Robert and Marianne Bittle of Sicklerville, N.J., and a graduate of Winslow Township High School.

Julia Warhola, a 2013 graduate with a business administration and history degree, is a daughter of Martin Warhola of Ebensburg and a graduate of Moon Area High School. Warhola is currently employed as a financial analyst with BNY Mellon.

Wesley LaQuaglia, a senior philosophy and physics major, is a son of Frank LaQuaglia of Massillon, Ohio, and a graduate of Washington High School.

"Wall Street style opportunities don't find their way to New Wilmington very often," said Bittle.  "It's fantastic that a professional capital markets financial analyst is willing to take the time to come back to Westminster and extend their knowledge to students looking to pursue a career in the field."

Bittle continued, "The summer analyst program has more than prepared me for the analyst path I plan to pursue after graduating from Westminster. I've already received a job offer for an analyst position for next fall. I am certain that the summer analyst program played a big role in the offer."

The event was organized by Dr. Daniel Fischmar, professor of economics and business, and alumnus Ben Nelson `06, a Youngstown, Ohio, native and a lead credit analyst with Moody's Corporation in New York City.

"This program is a unique experiential learning opportunity that confers valuable real-world experience on the student interns. The work load is daunting, but they all did very well," said Nelson.

"The students, under the guidance of Ben Nelson, performed a thorough analysis of the coal industry and forecasted the operating results for several firms in the industry," said Fischmar. "In addition to analyzing the public financial statements and earnings calls of these companies, the students learned how to develop a broad overview of an industry. In developing their analyses, they examined the potential world-wide supply of coal, the regulatory and environmental challenges the industry faces, and the impact of the world economy on coal prices."

Fischmar added, "The program was a genuinely challenging exercise that duplicates the actual experience of professional credit analysts."

Contact Fischmar at 724-946-7162 or email for additional information. 

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