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At 21, Nicolas Schull has helped manage $1.5 million in UF’s investment assets.
He’s held prestigious internships in Chicago, Miami and New York. And he’s mentored other students to follow his footsteps — all while finishing his combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and finance.
His advice to younger students is blunt: Decide what to do as early as possible, and spend the rest of the time chasing it.
“Completely pursue that entirely as hard as you can,” Schull said. “You can’t just give 50% and expect to compete.”
Schull, who has Puerto Rican heritage, developed a mind for money even before arriving at UF. During the pandemic, he and his brother ran an online gaming community. They created a multiplayer server from scratch, designing gameplay systems through self-taught coding.
The two attracted over 10,000 unique players over the course of three months, making $8,000 in revenue through in-game purchases, Schull said.
Today, Schull acts as portfolio manager for the university’s flagship investment fund, the Gator Student Investment Fund. The fund, which runs through the Warrington College of Business, teaches students to pitch investments and put money into U.S. stocks while managing portfolio risk, or the chance an investment’s value will decline.
The fund is typically given $1.5 million from school donors, to be managed by students. This money supports scholarships like the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholarship, which assists historically low-income, first-generation college students.
Schull credits the investment fund with preparing him for internships across all facets of the finance world.
He’s been interning since his freshman summer, when he worked at Channing Capital Management in Chicago. As a sophomore, he worked at an investment bank in Miami, Conexus Capital Advisors, which advises on mergers and acquisitions transactions. Most recently, he worked in New York City with prestigious investment bank Evercore — where he received a post-graduation job offer.
“I think I was able to have myself set up pretty well through the opportunities provided at UF,” Schull said.
Membership in the Gator Student Investment Fund is fiercely competitive. When Schull joined in 2022, only seven other students were accepted out of about 120, he said.
He now helps run the fund’s operations and its recruiting process.
Schull’s biggest challenge, he said, has been balancing his academic life with his social life. But it’s a challenge that’s paid off.
Aidan Marom, a 19-year-old UF finance sophomore, described Schull’s leadership approach as demanding but rewarding. He met Schull through the investment fund as a freshman, when Schull was his sector leader.
“He pushed me to do the best I can and constantly give me constructive criticism as well as just feedback in general to constantly improve my work product,” Marom said.
Marom said Schull sometimes spent hours via Zoom with him, going through his business and investment pitches and providing feedback.
“He’s always willing to push you and make sure that everything gets done in the right way,” Marom said.
Aditya Gandhi, a 19-year-old UF combined finance junior, also works with Schull in the investment fund. Gandhi is currently a sector manager, one step below Schull’s position.
He said Schull helped him to become a better investor, encouraging him to think about companies in a more nuanced way.
Every Monday, Schull hosts four-hour training sessions with new members of the investment fund, Gandhi said. During that time, he ensures they have supplemental training, even during his busy senior year.
“[He’s] just a big role model for everyone on campus,” Gandhi said.
Calling Schull a “hands-on leader,” Gandhi said his mentees produce only the highest quality work, which is a direct result of Schull pushing them to be the best at what they do.
“He’s a really nice person who tries to get to know you on a more personal level,” Gandhi said. “It’s a lot of hard work you have to do if Nico is your leader, but it comes with a lot of reward.”
After graduating at the end of this semester, Schull will return to work full-time in New York City for Evercore.
Contact Swasthi Maharaj at smaharaj@thealligator.org. Follow her on X at @s_maharaj1611.
Swasthi is the Fall 2025 university administration reporter. She's previously worked as general assignment reporter with The Alligator, and you can also find her work in Rowdy Magazine or The Florida Finibus. When she's not staring at her laptop screen or a textbook, she's probably taking a long walk or at a yoga class.
