Mr. Jeff Miller (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)
A new class this semester has been a hit with many students. It is called “Introduction to Financial Markets” and is taught by varsity hockey Coach Jeff Miller. Many parents and students were asking for a class like this, and many are excited to see such a class in the Northwood course offerings. This is how the class came to be and how it went in its first few weeks.
Coach Miller, or “Millsy,” is known for more than coaching hockey at Northwood. Previously he taught statistics, and he also plays a vital role in the admissions office. Many Huskies don’t know that before Northwood, Coach Miller had an outstanding career working for investment firms on Wall Street and in Boston for 20+ years. With this resume, there is no better person to teach Northwood Students about Finance.
“Given my experience in financial markets, I figured it may be a natural fit for me to teach a course that would give Northwood students a head start into the world of finance,” Miller said. Soon after gaining approval for his new class idea, he began designing the class over the summer.
The class aims to provide students with a general understanding of financial markets. “I hope to give the students a financial foundation they can use the rest of their life, especially when it comes time to make their own investment decisions,” Miller said. The class has already started learning about Banking, Bonds, The Federal Reserve, Stocks, and Commodities.
Miller likes to make classes exciting rather than just spewing information. Just a couple of weeks ago, the class had a mock Federal Open Markets Committee meeting before the Washington meeting. This allowed students to understand what goes into these real-life decisions.
“Down the road, we will take a deep dive into the stock market and learn about mutual funds, short selling, and Warren Buffet.” Miller has the class watch clips of the CNBC financial news network and use Yahoo Finance to gain information relevant to the class. This teaches the students how they can access this information when they start making their own decisions regarding finance.
Miller is off to a good start with the class, he said. “I enjoy sharing my passion and experiences with them, and the students have been very engaged and curious in class, which is great.” Being in this class, I can attest to the fact that I enjoy it a lot. Coach Miller makes class fun, and his course always provides a nice break from the hardcore information I may be getting in some of my other classes.
I look forward to seeing how this course continues, and it’s great to hear that Coach Miller has been loving teaching this course. “It’s been a wonderful experience,” he said. If you have any questions regarding this course, feel free to reach out to Coach Miller. He would love to tell you more about the class.
