When the Stakes are Real

Nine students gather around a conference table, debating pharmaceutical pipelines, artificial intelligence infrastructure and the long-term promise of education technology.

They aren’t preparing for a class presentation. They’re deciding how to invest a portion of Peddie’s endowment. Yes, the actual endowment.

These students are members of the Peddie School Student Investment Committee (PSSIC), one of the few high school programs in the country that entrusts students with real investment decisions on behalf of the school. The committee researches companies, debates strategy and votes on how capital is allocated, actions typically reserved for professionals.

Established in 2022 with a generous gift from Michael Armellino ’57 GP’19, the PSSIC was designed to address a gap Armellino observed firsthand: Even highly educated adults often lack foundational financial knowledge.

“Financial markets are impersonal. They are influenced by micro and macro events around the world every day. Connecting these events to financial decisions teaches critical and dynamic thinking,” said Armellino.

This year’s committee, led by president Rohit Nunugonda ’26, includes nine students from the sophomore, junior and senior classes. Their process begins each fall with a “practice stock,” allowing new and returning members to sharpen their analytical skills before real dollars are at stake. From there, the group selects industries to explore — this year focusing on pharmaceutical companies, AI data centers and education technology — before narrowing their focus to individual companies through months of research.

“We’re actually investing real money,” Nunugonda said. “The nervousness and excitement that come with that are all there.”

Disagreement is built into the process. “That’s actually a really common thing that happens,” Nunugonda explained. When opinions differ, the group often pauses and reconvenes later. “Taking extra time past the meeting to decide, and then we discuss again, I think there’s a lot more common ground after a lot of self-research and due diligence.”

The committee’s work culminates each winter in an annual marathon investment session. Members gather for hours as groups present detailed cases for potential investments. The day concludes with a full-group discussion and vote, marking the moment when months of research translate into real financial decisions.

Students lead the committee with guidance from faculty advisor Imad Labban, a longtime math teacher and former Wall Street managing director. Before joining Peddie, Labban held senior roles at Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers. His experience navigating global financial markets brings real-world perspective to the committee’s work.

Labban is intentionally hands-off when it comes to final decisions. “The students run this,” he said. “They make the decisions. They do the research. My job is to make sure they don’t cross the street without looking both ways.”

Nunugonda, who plans to study finance in college, said leading the committee has strengthened his confidence in navigating disagreement and guiding others. “Leading a group of your peers,” he said, “is something you’ll encounter anywhere. I don’t see those skills going to waste.”

Others point to the program’s professional-level exposure. “When I joined PSSIC, I knew I was stepping into an experience unlike anything I’d encountered before,” said Narayan Venkatesh ’28. “The committee’s student-led structure and exposure to capital made me think like a professional investor and made me more interested in exploring finance as a career.”

Amelia Kunamneni ’28 agreed. “Being a part of the PSSIC has been an unparalleled experience, strengthening my collaboration skills and expanding my understanding of the financial world,” she said.