When Jeff Jamrok, ’08, believes in something, he sees it through.
After earning his B.S. in criminology with a focus in economics from NIU in 2008, he has continued to pursue his MBA here.
The recipient of this year’s College of Business Student Engagement Award, Jamrok is being honored for his generosity and visionary involvement with the College of Business, particularly with the Department of Finance’s options trading course, which he founded and financially supported.
Jamrok’s passion for finance began early in life.
“From an early age, I thought I was going to go into finance and be a financial advisor or stock options trader or something along those lines working in investment banking,” he said, noting that he began his college career at NIU in 2003 majoring in finance. “Math 211 is what changed my mind, so I ended up switching my major to criminology.”
This change paved the way for another of Jamrok’s interests. While he was on campus, he started working nights at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office full time, which led to a rewarding career in public safety. He has completed the National Emergency Number Association’s Center Management Certification Program (CMCP) and has earned his professional designation as a registered public safety leader. He also serves as the communications manager for the University of Illinois Chicago Police Department where he oversees emergency communication and information systems infrastructure. He works as the emergency management coordinator for Northeastern Illinois University. Jamrok is instrumental in developing, training and implementing critical emergency response plans in both roles to provide a successful outcome.
“I worked for a lot of places that I think modeled how to not run a public safety center,” Jamrok said. “So, I get up every day and try to go run one the right way, which is to take care of the people who work there and make sure that the people who are using our services are also being taken care of.”
Besides his public safety career, Jamrok is an active day trader and has found success in a hobby that hearkens back to his original major at NIU. His investment success has allowed him to invest in the college’s Jeffrey B. Jamrok Options Trading Program, which is implemented as a practicum-based class. This innovative course allows students to gain hands-on experience in options trading with real money while honing their technical skills in coding and data visualization.
The hands-on experience has been a game-changer for finance students.
“Over the years, I recognized that learning from real trading is the best way to develop an understanding of the concepts,” Jamrok said. “Frequently, there is a huge gap in learning a concept and fully understanding how to apply it in a real setting. When I spoke to students, I realized that they had great interest in options but didn’t have an opportunity to do real trading.”
While the transaction dollar amounts are deliberately small to minimize risk, the class’s first trade earned a 69% return. Most importantly, the process of analysis and decision-making provided valuable learning for students in the course.
A lifelong learner, Jamrok is also a real estate agent, holds a student pilot license and sells fire equipment. When he finds a topic interesting, he wants to dig in and make it his own.
“I always learn better through different styles of teaching,” he said. “I want to be able to help students learn about finance by trying things for themselves, like I always have done.”
Jeff Jamrok and all the 2023 College of Business award winners will be honored at a celebration dinner on Oct. 20. To learn more or to register, go to go.niu.edu/COBAwards23.
