Executive Summary
Foss Hill Financial is a student-led investment banking club at Wesleyan University founded in 2023 to guide students through the early and networking-heavy recruitment process for finance roles. It operates through a mentorship cohort structure, yields growing internship placement results, and is increasingly conscious of gender equity issues within its cohorts. Strategic challenges revolve around scaling effectiveness, gender/network disparities, and broadening outreach without compromising personalized mentorship.
Analysis
Foss Hill Financial was created in 2023 by Aoife Reynolds ’24 and Uri Lurie ’24 after gaining internships at major banks, with the mission to demystify entry paths into investment banking for Wesleyan students [1]. The structure mirrors the investment banking recruitment timeline: applications open in early September for incoming sophomores, followed by interviews and acceptances. By their sophomore winter, students are already deep in the recruitment process [1].
Leadership is held by co-Presidents Daniel Lurie ’26, Honor O’Donnell ’26, and Will Miller ’26, with support from co-Leaders Colin Tsay ’27, Ella Morrison ’27, and Tomo Ishikawa ’27 [1]. Accepted students are organized into small cohorts, each overseen by a co-Leader, facilitating mentoring meetings focused on networking progress, milestones, and interview prep [1]. This structure allows for highly tailored guidance.
Results have improved markedly: in its inaugural year (2023), Foss Hill produced 5 investment banking internship placements; in 2024 that number rose to 13 [1]. Leadership is targeting approximately 75 % placement in the current year [1].
Foss Hill is also actively addressing gender dynamics. Female leaders like O’Donnell and Morrison make efforts to support women in the cohort, recognizing that finance remains male-dominated and that networking can feel more challenging for women due to alumni demographics [1].
In terms of outreach and resource expansion, Foss Hill will host an information session on September 17, 2025, aimed at first-year (freshman) students to introduce them to investment banking and outline best practices. Additionally, Wesleyan’s Gordon Career Center offers interview prep resources, such as mock interviews via Foss Hill and external finance prep platforms [1][2][5].
Strategic implications and open questions:
- Scaling: Can Foss Hill maintain depth of mentorship as membership grows and placement targets rise?
- Equity and access: How will the club ensure consistent support and opportunities for women, first-generation, and underrepresented students, particularly in cases where alumni networks are less accessible?
- Timeline pressure: Early recruiting advantages students who are ready in their sophomore year; what support exists for those who decide later?
- Sustainability: Given leadership turnover (as students graduate), how does Foss Hill institutionalize its processes and relationships with banks to ensure continuity?
- Measuring success beyond placement: Are there metrics for long-term career outcomes, retention, or diversity in full-time roles?
Supporting Evidence
- Foss Hill was founded in 2023 by Aoife Reynolds ’24 and Uri Lurie ’24 after securing internships at Bank of America and J. P. Morgan, respectively. Their goal was to help Wesleyan students navigate finance recruitment. [1]
- Leadership team for the current year includes co-Presidents Daniel Lurie ’26, Honor O’Donnell ’26, Will Miller ’26; co-Leaders Colin Tsay ’27, Ella Morrison ’27, Tomo Ishikawa ’27. [1]
- The organization’s membership application process opens early September for incoming sophomores, with interviews and acceptances following soon after. By winter of sophomore year, recruiting is well underway. [1]
- Mentoring is cohort-based: small groups led by co-Leaders, allowing individual tracking of networking progress and customized guidance. [1]
- Placement growth: 5 investment banking internships in 2023; 13 in 2024. Target for current year is about 75 % of cohort placed. [1]
- Gender awareness: Leaders like O’Donnell and Morrison acknowledge challenges faced by women in networking and aim to serve as role models. [1]
- Outreach: An information session held September 17, 2025 for first-year students to introduce finance industry and recruitment strategies; Wesleyan’s Career Center also offers exposure and interview prep resources including mock interviews via Foss Hill. [1][5]
Sources
- [1] wesleyanargus.com (The Wesleyan Argus) — December 9, 2025
- [2] careercenter.wesleyan.edu (Wesleyan University Career Center) — recently updated
- [5] careercenter.wesleyan.edu (Wesleyan University Career Center) — 2025
- [8] connections.villanova.edu (Villanova University Career Connections) — 2025