TCI Community College Students tour Wall Street

The Turks & Caicos Islands Community College’s Business Department took flight for an interesting tour of the Financial District of Manhattan, New York and to see Wall Street where the famed novelist John Grisham used this canvas to paint the stories that have captivated readers for years.
Three (3) lecturers along with nine (9) students from the Associates and Bachelor’s degree in Business and Finance Courses, donned scarves, coats, mitts and caps to brave the ‘freezing’ temperatures.

The Wall Street Tour was indeed the kick-off to a world of adventure and learning! The tour guides ably and superbly navigated the historical evolution of the New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street. The group saw the Federal Hall where President George Washington was sworn in, passing by Morgan House, The Federal Bank, The 9/11 Memorial and the statuesque Wall Street Bull.

Students were enthralled by the stories behind the 2008 financial collapse and the lingering evidence of the 9/11 attack in the Federal Hall. The historical accounts continued with the story of the first terrorist attack on Wall Street via a horse and carriage. Even more interesting, especially for students pursuing a finance specialism, was the explanation of trading and stock markets, splits, options and futures and the reality of the bull and bear markets. At the end of this tour, we were given a US $1,000,000 note, which unfortunately will only remain in our purses and wallets!

The group had the opportunity to relax, unwind and enjoy some New York Culture as we enjoyed the Broadway play “Shear Madness”. No need to expand on this except to say the title was truly fitting of the play.

The Statue of Liberty remains such a vital part of the United States history, it was decided that the tour would definitely benefit from this rich experience. The group travelled via ferry to Liberty Island where the tour guide explained the island’s history and the reason behind the placement of Lady Liberty at that location. They got to see the breath-taking monument up close and gazed in awe at the sculptor which took so many years of hard work.
Ellis Island was the entry point for immigrants in the early days of New York. The process then was absolutely onerous and frightening and we can only be thankful that all of that will remain history.

Ms. Stacy Ann Lawrence, a Lecturer at the College said, “It is always interesting to see a bit of history to appreciate how far we have come and to get insight as to what it must have been like for the immigrants in those early days.”
Following an interesting and educational tour of New York, it was time to return to the Turks & Caicos Islands. There were a few sad faces as we entered the hotel shuttle and made our way to JFK airport, then sadly blew last minute kisses, “See you later, New York!”

This experience was made possible by Corporate partners who sponsored and participated in assisting our Community College:
N W Hamilton
First Caribbean Bank
Royal West Indies
Le Vele Management Services
CBMS Ltd
Turks and Caicos Banking Company
The Palms Resort Ltd.
British Caribbean Bank
IGA
Jais
International Beauty Salon
Grand Turk Cruise Center
FChambers
Discount Liquors

The Business Department and the TCI Community College told RTC that they wish to thank those who continue to play a role in the life of the College to ensure that these meaningful excursions can take place where students can see their classroom work come to life in the real world.