A little Black Girl Magic.
2018 is the year of change and Lauren Simmons is making history in the finance world by being the first and only full-time female trader at the New York Stock Exchange.
23-year-old Lauren Simmons attended Kennesaw State University, graduating in 2016 with a baccalaureate in Genetics. According to Black Enterprise, Simmons interned at Woodstock Clinical Treatment Center, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Ave, where she developed her love for finance. Originally planning for a career in the medical field, Simmons realized that medicine was not her passion, and started to search for finance jobs. Thus, eventually leading her to land a job at Rosenblatt Securities last year.
“The one thing that I love about numbers and statistics, and kind of one of the reasons I came to the New York Stock Exchange, is because numbers are a universal language,” Simmons told CNBC. “When you put them on a board it connects everyone, which is probably one of the reasons why the New York Stock Exchange is so iconic.”
About The Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is an American Stock Exchange located on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. A stock exchange is a market in which securities, such as bonds, notes and shares, are bought and sold at prices governed by the forces of demand in supply.
Simmons is the youngest member of the Exchange, according to Essence. Simmons is amongst many women joining the list of making historical changes at the New York Stock Exchange. Earlier in May, Stacey Cunningham was named the first female president of the NYSE in 226 years, according to the Wall Street Journal. Though Simmons is making strides, there is still a lot to be done in terms of equality. According to Simmons, the signature jackets worn by traders only come in men’s sizes and the women’s restroom is located further away from the men’s. However, Simmons is determined to change the primitive manners of the Exchange. “Be uncomfortable and go after what you want,” Simmons advises. “Apply for the job — you have no idea what lies behind the door. And if you don’t get the job, it’s okay. Apply for the next job and move forward. Don’t let that be a stop in your career, your life or whatever you want to do. I think it’s important to just keep going.”
