Participating in the CFA Ethics Challenge has provided me with an amazing opportunity to learn about the CFA Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct and to apply these ethics standards to a real-life scenario. I especially enjoyed the discussions with my group members regarding the ethical issues and implications presented in the case, as well as coming up with recommendations for those issues together. It was interesting to hear my team members’ perspectives on those ethical issues and I learned a lot from them. Our faculty advisor, Krista Fiolleau (associate professor), and other SAF professors also provided valuable feedback and support. All the feedback from faculty and the time spent together as a team in preparing for the presentation led to our team winning the local competition of the CFA Ethics Challenge!
On the day of the local competition, I remember feeling nervous about the questions that the judges may ask about our presentation. However, as I remembered back to all the team discussions and preparations beforehand, I immediately felt more confident in being able to take on any questions that would come our way. In fact, during the presentation, many of the questions asked by the judges had already been discussed together as a team. We were therefore able to show our thought processes to the best of our ability.
This experience has taught me that hard work and preparation do pay off. I thank the SAF faculty members and staff for all the help and support provided to our team and me throughout our journey. It has been a valuable experience in developing the skills of analyzing an ethics case and being able to learn from my peers. I am certain that the experience of participating in the CFA Ethics Challenge will allow me to better recognize, assess, and react to ethical situations in the future.