Experiential education isn’t just something you get through college. For Arielle Feinstein ’27, the school of life taught some hard lessons about resilience in the face of adversity, but also skills in money management that have served her well on a path toward becoming a Certified Financial Planner.
While still a high school student at Rhode Island’s Cranston High School West, Feinstein became interested in finance during the COVID-19 pandemic when she would help her father — who suffered from a degenerative illness — pursue his hobby of day trading in the stock market.
“He was losing mobility in his hands, so he taught me so that I could do it for him,” she recalls. “Then I started getting the hang of it, and I would take his phone when he wasn't looking and start making trades. I made some money and lost some, but it was fun and I learned a lot.”
Sadly, Feinstein’s father, a single parent, passed away when she was a junior in high school, leaving the 16-year-old to run a household and care for her brother. “I was thrown into the deep end, but it pushed me to grow in ways I didn't expect,” she says. “I realized that I had to create a structure for myself. I had to work, keep up with school, and apply to colleges, all while grieving. I had to sell the house, so I learned how to sell a house.”
“I was thrown into the deep end, but it pushed me to grow in ways I didn't expect."
The experience also reinforced the passion for investing that budded while working the stock market with her father although, these days, she’s more interested in investing in index funds.
“I like the idea of being able to balance my interest in finance and using what I've learned to help people. I knew from the day that my dad died, I wanted to turn that into something meaningful; it was not going to go to waste,” she says.
“Being in the financial profession and face-to-face with clients, you kind of become a therapist. If you want to succeed, it's not just about being good with numbers,” Feinstein adds. “You have to really understand what someone is going through, especially with estate planning. How you communicate with clients is just as important, because they’re in a vulnerable place.”
"I like the idea of being able to balance my interest in finance and using what I've learned to help people. I knew from the day that my dad died, I wanted to turn that into something meaningful; it was not going to go to waste."
Feinstein’s career path became even clearer when, as a junior at Bryant, she made the decision to convert to Christianity. “I've always been an empath, but since I've come into my faith, that part of me has grown exponentially,” she says. This summer, Feinstein will start an internship at Thrivent, a financial planning firm formed more than 120 years ago as a fraternal-aid organization by members of the Lutheran church. Now a Fortune 500 company, Thrivent includes giving back as a core tenet of its planning advice to clients.
“The fact that it was a nonprofit and faith-based stuck out to me,” she says. “I could tell they had a great structure to their internship program, and I aligned with their values, so that was a no-brainer for me.”
Feinstein, who is majoring in Financial Services and has a double minor in Legal Studies and Economics, was recently selected as the winner of a scholarship from the Goldman Scholars program. The scholarships were launched in 2024 with an endowment from Charles and Judy Goldman, and support college juniors and seniors seeking to complete the education requirements to attain their Certified Financial Planner (CFP) credentials.
The scholarship covers up to $5,625 in tuition costs for the recipients, who must be from populations “that are underrepresented in the financial planning profession.” In Feinstein’s case, that meant being a woman in a field historically dominated by men. And while she insists that empathy is gender-neutral, Feinstein believes her approach to financial planning may have greater appeal to clients who are women.
The experience of having to take on adult responsibilities at a young age also may add some gravitas when Feinstein interacts with clients. “I'm able to handle more emotionally and physically and view that as an opportunity for growth, she says. “Something so negative and pivotal in my life has ultimately led to so much growth. I'm able to empathize with and give sympathy to others who may be going through something similar.
“I like to think that that's why I was put through all of that — to share my story and hopefully inspire others.”