The ROI of Action: Why Professional Excellence Is the Best Counterprotest

The shortest distance between a divided campus and a stable Middle East was not found in a protest line, but through a 15-hour flight and a transformative 10-day journey through the region’s most dynamic markets.

My journey toward this realization began at UCLA, where I had only a two-week glimpse of normal campus life before the world was shattered on Oct. 7, 2023. Months later, by the time Passover arrived, the anti-American campus encampment was at its peak. Walking to class required more strategic planning than any 19-year-old should do just to attend a lecture.

Watching the demonstrations and counterprotests, it was clear that a traditional counterprotest was fundamentally flawed. Not only was it ineffective, but it also drew more attention to the encampments while simultaneously labeling my peers alongside the encampment’s participants as disruptors actively hindering our education. I didn’t want to be a disruptor; I wanted to be a builder.

This realization was confirmed when a close friend from my finance club expressed his frustration. He wasn’t a staunch supporter of any specific political movement; he was just a UCLA student looking to secure a career and annoyed that his path to class was blocked. It became clear that the best people to build bridges with were those who consistently engage and deliver results. These are the students pursuing investment banking, consulting, and private equity. These students, who possess the grit required for rigorous recruitment cycles, are the ones who will eventually be in the boardrooms making decisions that move global markets. If they see certain nations not as conflict zones, but as economic powerhouses, they will eventually advocate for those partnerships based on the return on investment.

Two years later, after being selected as a Geller International Fellow, I witnessed a new model of engagement firsthand during a 10-day journey to the Middle East to learn more about the impact of the Abraham Accords on the region. I saw nations working side by side because they were trade-aligned, a testament to the success of the Abraham Accords and to the idea that bridges grounded in mutual benefit are stronger than those built on identity alone.

When I returned to UCLA, I was energized to execute this mission within my own network. As a leader in UCLA’s only investment banking-focused finance organization, I chose to provide professional value that mirrored my international experience. Thinking back to the transformative lessons of the fellowship, I hosted Marty Geller, the Founder and CEO of Geller & Company, the first CFO of Bloomberg L.P., and the founder of the Geller International Fellowship, for a fireside chat.

My group draws 500 applicants because of its rigorous technical preparation, including accounting, valuation and technical interviews, but our members are hungry for more than just hard skills; they also care about values-driven leadership. Students entering the finance field today are keenly aware that their decisions have consequences far beyond balance sheets. Economic inequality, technological disruption and political instability are no longer abstract concerns; they sit at the center of the financial world.

Marty’s conversation wove together stories of resilience and purpose, shaped by his history as the son of Holocaust survivors and the lessons learned building one of the most influential financial institutions in the world. He emphasized that true success is measured not by profit alone, but by perseverance, values and a commitment to giving back. His approach resonated deeply as we grappled with big questions regarding how to align investment with values without sacrificing competitiveness.

This shift in focus represents a necessary pivot in campus strategy. For years, the gold standard of advocacy involved engaging with student government bodies. However, as those groups become increasingly radicalized and performative, the “ROI” —Return on Investment— on those connections has plummeted. We have to stop chasing a room that has already closed its doors and start building our own.

When students are given tools to understand global partners as real economic and strategic partners, perspectives shift in ways a protest never could. The future conversation won’t be won on the quad, but in classrooms, internships and, eventually, boardrooms. If we want a lasting impact, we must build where returns compound, creating bridges of substance that are far harder to tear down.

Jonah Nazarian is a third-year Economics student at UCLA and an ICC Geller Senior Fellow.