Just like their peers, the young men of Archbishop Moeller High School are preparing for their future education and professional goals. In recent years, many Moeller students expressed interest in pursuing degrees in business and engineering, but lacked clarity around specific career paths in these fields. This insight was crucial, prompting Moeller's administration to embark on five years of curriculum development, which culminated in the opening of the Burns Innovation Hub last school year.
The curriculum is grounded in Moeller's educational philosophy of REALearning. Provost Christine Brookbank explains, “REALearning is intentionally focused on designing environments where young men can thrive, drawing upon decades of experience as an all-boys school regarding how young men learn best.”
The 17,000-square-foot Burns Innovation Hub physically embodies REALearning, offering Moeller students a place to explore career interests such as investment research, portfolio management, physical and digital prototyping, entrepreneurship, broadcasting and negotiations. All courses emphasize connecting students with instructors, peers and the community, engaging them as active learners.
“All hub courses aim to develop ‘Moeller Mindset' skills through performance-based tasks that exemplify that the learning process is messy and cyclical, requiring students to work in teams, overcome adversity and perfect their work through iteration,” notes Brookbank.
Karen Tlucek instructs the hub’s Investment Research and Portfolio Management Honors courses. Inspired by the University of Dayton Davis Center for Portfolio Management (which features a large student-run investment fund), the program gives Moeller students a competitive advantage and real-world experience.
Investment Research students examine financial health and outlook by analyzing balance sheets, income statements (P&Ls), cash flow statements and key metrics and ratios.
“Their focus is on communicating the story behind the numbers, rather than just the metrics themselves,” shares Tlucek, who brings to her role as instructor a corporate career spanning more than 20 years in finance and brand management, along with an MBA from Boston College.
Students use professional tools such as Morningstar Direct to read reports and analyze company fundamentals, determining business strength and value. Their case studies often cover student-interest topics, such as comparing Monster to Celsius or examining nuclear energy investments related to AI. Course completion includes earning two financial certifications: Bloomberg Finance Fundamentals and Bloomberg Market Concepts.
In Portfolio Management Honors, students manage the Mercalde Family Student-Run Investment Fund, the nation's largest high school student-run endowment, to generate financial aid for future Moeller students. Teams research two to three S&P sectors, crafting and pitching investment recommendations to an advisory board of industry experts, many of whom are Moeller alumni.
“The board treats the students as young professionals and does not hold back when asking questions, which prepares them for college and their early professional journeys. The board challenges the students on risks and urges them to consider the whole story of the company beyond just the numbers,” Tlucek enthuses.
The students' portfolio has been outperforming the S&P 500 benchmark, with an average return of 25.2%. The fund is also unique because all investment recommendations undergo a full scrub using the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) guidelines to ensure alignment with Catholic values.
Knowing their efforts aid future students gives the young men a greater sense of purpose, reinforcing Moeller's Marianist education philosophy.
“Being in a class that benefits all of Moeller was the highlight of my time there,” says Gavin Vaughan, Class of '25 Portfolio Management Honors student.
Brookbank adds, “This process helps ensure students continue to view the world through an ethical lens and consider how to give back.”
Tlueck has witnessed the impact of these courses and notes her students are "ten years ahead in their knowledge,” and continue to check in on the success of the investment fund. Recent graduates report that this experience gave them a competitive edge in their college pursuits, enabling them to engage confidently with third and fourth-year finance majors.
Only a year and a half after launching, The Burns Innovation Hub’s coursework is already providing students with a deeper, more confident knowledge base for their education and future careers.
A Moeller Education
The Moeller Mission: Catholic. Marianist. Forming our Students into Remarkable Men.
Platinum Designated: Moeller is Ohio's only Catholic all-boys high school with the College Board's platinum designation, ranking its Advanced Placement program among the nation's best.
Educational Philosophy: REALearning
Relational, emphasizing the importance of relationships with teachers, peers, alumni and colleagues.
Experiential, focusing on hands-on learning, problem solving and deep engagement in the learning process, moving beyond passive lectures.
Authentic, solving real problems, connecting the work to students' interests and presenting to real audiences.
Moeller Mindset Skills
- Critical Questioning
- Compelling Creation
- Purposeful Perspective Seeking
- Resourceful Resilience
- Collaboration & Communication
Archbishop Moeller High School | 9001 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati | 513.791.1680 | Moeller.org