Trader goes back to classroom

When Thomas Grisafi was a Griffith High School senior, he went on a field trip to the Chicago Board of Trade. He fell in love with the excitement of the pit, and essentially never left.

Grisafi, now 37, and living in Valparaiso with his wife and two young daughters, is a 20-year veteran trader, daily contributor to Futures Line, and member of the CBOT and Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Minneapolis Grain Exchange, New York Merchantile Exchange and Commodities Exchange. He serves as president and CEO of his own company, Indiana Grain LLC.

"The market has its ups and downs but I do well overall," he said.

Like everyone else, Grisafi had quite a scare when the markets plummeted in 2008, reportedly the worst year for Standard & Poor's 500 since 1937.

That made Grisafi think about what he would do if he wasn't trading, and that sent him back to the classroom.

That same year, Grisafi enrolled in Valparaiso University's College of Adult Scholars program. He's working on a bachelor's degree in business.

One of the first things he found beneficial from VU that has helped him in his career was a class he took on public speaking with instructor Philip Potempa.

"I've learned a lot," he said. "I am much more confident speaking in public," he said. Grisafi often speaks to fellow members of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

With a busy family life and class schedule, Grisafi also looked for a way to cut down on his three-hour daily commute working at the CBOT. He built a virtual trading pit in his basement, complete with two computers and 10 monitors and "plenty of high-speed Internet."

Grisafi said it allows him to focus on work and spend more time with his family.

He's alert to situations that may cause market fluctuation, such as the Gulf Coast oil spill.

He also says his classes and experience at VU has granted him access to many people who are very knowledgeable about business.

"I wanted to show my children how important it is to go to school," Grisafi said. "You can always go back to school and do more and be better in your field."

Monday, June 21: 6:30 p.m., Refectory to the Christopher Center Library Community Room, Valparaiso University. The topic is "Navigating the Admissions Process, Financial Aid and Planning for Your Future Career." It is sponsored by Valparaiso University; Purdue North Central, Westville; Indiana Wesleyan, Merrillville; and Ivy Tech Community College Northwest, Valparaiso. For more information, call (800) 821-7685.