A little about me

I am a freshman at the University of California Merced pursuing a career in finance. I am originally from Cupertino, California where I attended Monta Vista High School. There I was a 3 year varsity football starter earning the Defensive MVP and an all CCS honorable mention. I was also 2 year varsity captain on the track team and a 3 sport athlete for a year. Additionally I was nominated to be an Athletic Senator my sophomore year. I was tasked with being a bridge between student athletes and students while working with the AD for over two years. While I love sports and was heavily involved in athletics, I also balanced a full academic schedule taking multiple AP courses my junior and senior year. I was also recognized as the male Matador of the Year which is a senior award given to one male and female of the graduating class. I love hanging out and playing sports with friends. The beach and the gym are probably my favorite places to spend my free time. I also love to cook and always joke that if I didn't play sports or lift weights I would likely be 300 pounds because of how much I love to make my own meals.

Personal Investing

I have been trading stocks and options for over a year now with triple digit returns on Moderna (MRNA) and Tesla (TSLA) as well as over 50% returns in multiple names in the airline and cruise line industry, Chipotle (CMG), Goldman Sachs (GS), and Wells Fargo (WFC). My long stock only portfolio has an annual return of over 40%, just edging out the S&P's return of about 36% in the same time frame. On the options side, I really only use simple call/put debit/credit spreads but have experimented with iron condors and calendar spreads. However, I did participate once in the meme stock short squeeze in early 2021 by buying a AMC 2$ call option costing .52, making my breakeven 2.52 by expiry. Shortly after the stock soared above 15 dollars, and I eventually sold my position for about $950 in profit, making this my biggest % winner in my career. However, I realized that just like in casinos, you really have to quit while you are ahead. While options are fun and extremely lucrative, I focused more on steady, quality growth for 2021. I have enjoyed working in tandem with my parents as we set goals for myself and for their retirement. I've had so much fun managing my own personal account as well as helping and collaborating with my parents on their accounts. I have to realize however, that this may very well be one of the greatest bull markets in history (years in the making) and that it will most certainly get harder from here, but I am excited to see what I can learn from the markets in the years to come.

College, Career and the Future

While attending UC Merced I hope to connect with the community and get involved in the Investment Club. I am so excited to get to learn about the ins and outs of finance and to explore multiple career options. Finance is so broad but I really want to focus on careers in investment banking, private equity, and hedge funds. I am so eager to learn all there is to know about this industry.