During the spring semester 2026, the University of Illinois Springfield College of Business and Management welcomed 35 high school students from across central Illinois to campus for hands-on learning experiences using Bloomberg Terminals in its new Sean and Taryn Grant/Landmark Auto Trading Lab.

Students from Routt Catholic High School in Jacksonville, the Christian County CEO Program and Calvary Academy in Springfield participated in the visits, which were designed to introduce them to real-world financial tools, expand their understanding of business careers and connect them with opportunities available at UIS.

The lab, which opened in February, features 11 Bloomberg Terminals that support hands-on learning for UIS students pursuing careers in finance, data analytics and related fields. The terminals provide access to real-time financial data, allowing users to research markets, analyze investments, perform modeling and valuation and build data analytics skills using a professional platform.

“I am so happy that our college created this lab,” said Minh Tam “Tammy” Schlosky, UIS associate professor of finance. “This is experiential learning at its finest. The students are gaining real value that not many universities offer. They get to have their hands on the best technology that only the top of the top finance programs are using.”

Throughout the visits, UIS faculty and staff led demonstrations and interactive sessions to give students a firsthand look at how Bloomberg technology is used in both academic and professional settings.

Routt Catholic High School brought nine students to campus March 31 for a Bloomberg workshop led by UIS faculty. Students explored financial concepts, received career advice in finance and met with faculty leaders from the department.

Nine students from the Christian County CEO Program visited April 30 along with four advisors and teachers. During their visit, they participated in a hands-on demonstration using the Bloomberg Terminals and engaged in discussions about experiential learning, artificial intelligence and academic programs offered through the College of Business and Management.

Seventeen students from Calvary Academy visited the lab May 11, where they participated in a live demonstration and learned more about experiential learning opportunities at UIS. The students were accompanied by their teacher, Katie McElroy, and engaged with university representatives throughout the visit.

“These visits give students a meaningful introduction to the type of hands-on, career-focused learning they can expect at UIS,” said Serkan Karadas, UIS associate professor of finance. “We’re proud to share our resources with the community and help students see what’s possible for their future.”