August 19, 2025
Investing in themselves
Students create welcoming space to explore financeby Allyson Irish
Alyssa Schoonmaker and Sophia Tabibian, both Class of 2026, have big plans. The two classmates assumed leadership of the Women in Finance Club in fall 2024 and in the span of an academic year have completely revitalized the club, moving meetings to dinnertime to better accommodate busy schedules and developing a yearlong strategy that begins with basic financial information and culminates in capstone projects presented by each member. Schoonmaker and Tabibian also brought in a series of guest speakers, including Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, ’27, Andover CFO Fernando R. Alonso; and Board of Trustees President Amy C. Falls ’82, P’19, ’21.
“This has been a phenomenal opportunity,” says Tabibian. “We have been able to develop the kind of club I always wish that I had when I was a freshman and didn't really know which clubs to join or what spaces I would feel welcome in. I’m excited that it’s taken off so quickly.”
Below, Schoonmaker and Tabibian provide more details about the program and their future goals.
How did you become interested in finance?
Schoonmaker: My family moved from the Bay Area to Hong Kong when I was just 2 years old, as my mother had received an offer from Goldman Sachs. Growing up in an international financial center like Hong Kong sparked my curiosity about finance from a young age. I still remember asking her questions about the venture capital world and how investment banking operated. Over time, that curiosity turned into a passion at Andover, inspiring me to join various finance- and business-oriented clubs to expand my knowledge and experience.
Tabibian: Everyone in my family is in finance—my parents and my two older siblings. So that definitely helped with my emerging interest. And growing up in San Francisco, I’ve been surrounded by so much technology and innovation. For example, right now I only use self-driving cars. They’re safer and the same price. And the reason they’re the same price is because so many venture capitalists are funding daring innovations like this. I’ve been fascinated by how we can take innovations from the research lab to something that’s in everyone’s hands. And I believe finance is critical to that.
What benefits do you hope students gain from the club?
Schoonmaker: Sophia and I noticed a common trend of female underrepresentation at all the clubs that we attended. The financial jargon and culture sometimes excluded those who were genuinely interested in exploring the field. We wanted to change that. With the Women in Finance Club, we’ve created a welcoming space for female-identifying students to engage freely and build a supportive community.
Tabibian: Many students only go to club meetings because they want a board spot that they can put on their resume—which prevents them from deriving actual value from every meeting. So, the most important promise I made to myself was that students would feel that they got something valuable out of every meeting, even if they didn’t end up getting a board spot. I wanted them to leave knowing that they had learned more about finance, that they had connected with new people, and that it was a productive use of their time.
What would you like others to know about the club?
Schoonmaker: What I am most proud of is our club structure. Sophia and I developed a three-term curriculum to help our members gain valuable knowledge and real-world insights into the industry. In the fall, we give presentations and lectures to teach the core concepts of finance. In winter term, we host financial professionals who share their experiences and advice through our guest speaker series, providing role models and mentors. In the spring, members research and present on finance topics they’re passionate about, developing deeper expertise and public-speaking skills. Sophia and I spent a lot of time curating our year-long curriculum to offer a rich, hands-on experience unlike that of any other club on campus.
Tabibian: I really want students to understand why finance is valuable for our world. I think many students are interested in finance because it comes with a nice paycheck, which is true, but it’s also important to everything in our world today. The way that companies can bring their technologies to customers is because of finance. Money is one of the most powerful tools in the world, and it has the power to do really great things and really bad things. And given that Andover is producing the next generation of leaders, we need to know how to handle this tool with a sense of responsibility.
Who are some females in finance that you admire and why?
Schoonmaker: My financial hero would be Muriel Sieburt, the first woman to have a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. What I admire most about her is her determination. Despite facing discriminatory barriers, her refusal to accept the status quo proved that women are just as capable as men in the world of finance. Her story inspires me to persevere through my own challenges every day.
Tabibian: One of my biggest financial heroes would be Zoe Weinberg ’09, who agreed to speak at the club last winter. She founded a venture capital firm focused on investing in agentic tech, which is basically a type of tech that revolves around security, especially in this age of AI. What I admire about her is that she has a law background and she’s using finance as a tool to support the future of technology. Zoe was able to explain her experiences after Andover, what led her to learn about agentic tech, what she believes the future should look like, and how she’s using money and her VC firm to make that future a reality.
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