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BETHANY - Many college seniors hold jobs or participate in internships during their higher education years, but precious few get the opportunity to serve as chief executive officer of a $1 million investment fund.

Bethany College senior Kelly Sofka has that opportunity, however, and she's making the most of it.

"Never in my dreams did I think I would be able to manage real money as a college student," Sofka, chief executive officer of the McCann Family Student Investment Fund, said. "To take what we learn in the classroom and apply it like this is remarkable."

Robert and Cindy McCann of Madison, N.J., established the fund that allows Bethany students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world experiences by managing an investment fund. Robert McCann modeled the project after a similar one he experienced during his time as a graduate student at the Neely School of Business at Texas Christian University. Students must research stocks to make investment recommendations and execute trades.

Bethany is the first West Virginia college to establish such a program, and one of only a few nationwide.

"The magnitude of this project is a reflection of how Cindy and I feel about Bethany," Robert McCann, a 1980 Bethany graduate and chief executive officer of UBS Wealth Management Americas, said. "The fund is an incredible opportunity for Bethany students to engage in unique, specialized learning experiences and enrich their education."

McCann also serves as vice chairman of Bethany's board of trustees.

Sofka, a finance major who maintains a 4.0 grade point average, is a 2006 graduate of Wheeling Central Catholic High School. After she developed the prospectus and by-laws for the fund, Sofka's fellow students elected her CEO.

"We made our first investments in June. We want to maintain as diverse a portfolio as possible," Sofka said. "We are now invested in equities, but we are also looking at all types of stocks, bonds and ETFs," or exchange-traded funds.

The fund is administered by the students, with support from an advisory council. Students are responsible for researching stocks, persuading associates of the wisdom of their investment recommendations and then executing trades. They will be evaluated on their performance and will be required to develop regular reports on the results of their activities.

Members of the advisory council are Brian McCann of Reston, Va.; George M. Davis, a 1978 graduate of Bethany; Tom Miller, a 1977 Bethany graduate; and David Jablonowski, a 1980 graduate. William Booker of Chatham, N.J., works with the students in executing investments.

Sofka said she and her colleagues realize they are not playing with multi-colored Monopoly money.

"The fact that we are using real money makes this a legitimate situation. We have to be sure to maximize profitability, while minimizing risk," she said.

Fifty percent of the fund's investment income will be reinvested into the McCann Family Student Investment Fund. The remaining 50 percent will serve to support the McCann Learning Center at Bethany College, which was established in 2007 to enhance the learning skills of all Bethany students.

Managing the fund is not just for business and finance majors, Sofka said.

"This prepares you for any profession that requires critical thinking," she said.

Sofka credits economics and business Professor Anju Ramjee and W. Randolph Cooey, chairman of the Department of Economics and Business, with helping her along the way.

"They have really mentored us during our work to get this going," she said.

Following graduation, Sofka plans to obtain a master's of business administration or master's of finance degree.

"I really want to work with investments. A program like this will allow me to leave Bethany with confidence in portfolio management," she said. "This is a great start to graduate school.

"Participating in the fund has been an invaluable opportunity that has enhanced my academic experience and has contributed to my future career success."

Sofka holds Robert McCann in high regard for his commitment to Bethany, though she said he does not take it easy on the students involved.

"Mr. McCann wanted us to be able to stand up and defend our decisions. That is what we try to do," she said.

Bethany President Scott D. Miller also appreciates the McCann's generosity.

"Bob and Cindy's commitment to Bethany over the years has been unique. The McCann Family Student Investment Fund adds another distinctive feature to Bethany's curriculum," Miller said. "For students to have the ability to invest these funds directly and be responsible for the performance of the fund is truly a remarkable opportunity."

Sofka highly recommends the program to those considering a career in financial management.

"Not only are you learning concepts - you can put those concepts into practice by managing this fund," she said.