This semester, investment-focused students at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics continued their winning streak in the L.A. region Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) competition to a seventh consecutive year. Competing with teams from world-renowned universities, the CSUF students were victorious through four rounds to become one of only six teams out of 1,100 teams around the world to make it to the exclusive Global Round in Hong Kong earlier this May, the second time this decade that Cal State Fullerton students have performed on this worldwide stage.
The 2026 team was comprised of Mateo Garcia, Karhan Camurdan, Eamon Andrew Helding and Samantha Santonil, all finance grads who celebrated their commencement on May 20, sporting the CFA Los Angeles trophy while coming on stage to receive their diplomas.
An Incredible Commitment of Time and Effort Translates to Globally Recognized Success
Advancing to the CFA competition is a multiyear effort that spans much of participating students’ time at Cal State Fullerton. For months, students engage in researching in individual companies and portfolios. Students must present to the program’s advisory board and work together to author an in-depth research paper.
Once the CFA competition officially begins in October, participating Titans are busy researching the target company (which this year was Cathay Bank) ahead of a meeting with corporate management to plan a research report. 50% of the scoring of the local round is on the research paper, with the balance based on the presentation before real-world business professionals acting as judges at the local final competition.
“It is an unbelievable commitment of over 2,000 collective hours, considering the students have other internships and classes,” says Kelly Ko, finance lecturer and equity director of Titan Capital Management (TCM), the investment program. “To do work worthy of winning even the local competition is an incredible testament to student tenacity. Working in teams, doing investment research, answering questions and more are combined in this competition, ensuring students have all the preparation needed for industry careers.”
In 2026, two Cal State Fullerton teams participated in the local round, with one team placing first and the other Titan team coming in third, besting competitors from UCLA, Pepperdine University and other Southern California schools.
The CFA competition hasn’t been the only opportunity for TCM students to shine this past academic year. Earlier this spring, two Titan teams ranked second and third in the second annual Irvine Investment & Trading Group stock competition. The investment students came in first at the Experian Social Impact Case Competition in April. Additionally, the students have gained a holistic understanding of the finance world through company site visits, such as PIMCO, Oaktree and Clifford Swan, that are providing career connections for the investment professionals of tomorrow.
“Our students have demonstrated that they have the ability to compete against the top schools in the world. This means they will have the ability to hold the top professional positions as well,” explained Steven Wang, finance lecturer and TCM managing director.
For More on Titan Capital Management
TCM equips the next generation of finance professionals with the skills needed to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. From Wall Street to California boutique firms, the name of TCM is already renowned and revered in the world of finance. For more on the program, read more of our articles on TCM successes.
