Falconer Students Place At Stock Market Challenge
Two teams of students from Falconer Central School placed in the top 10 of the 10th annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge.
The Falconer students were among the 141 teams and 570 students from 33 schools to participate. Northwest Bank is the Presenting Sponsor of this unique computer simulated stock market event which took place at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in Buffalo.
“Northwest is proud to be the presenting sponsor of this year’s JA Stock Market Challenge. We couldn’t be prouder of the winners and all the students that participated,” said Trina Burruss, Northwest Bank regional vice president and community relationship officer.
Teams started with a $1 million portfolio, with winners based on the teams that had the highest return on investment. Risky Business from Sweet Home was the first place winner with a 41.25 percent return on investment and a net worth of $1,412,489. The Defaults from Falconer Central School placed fourth with a 34.72 percent return on investment, 4 Pockets Full from Fredonia Central School finished fifth with a 33.90 percent return on investment and Falconer’s I Can’t Believe We Aren’t Bankrupt finished sixth with a return on investment of 33.51 percent.
Prior to the JA Stock Market Challenge, JA provided an in-class educational program called JA Take Stock in Your Future. Volunteers visited classrooms to teach students important facts about investments and the stock market in order to enhance students’ overall learning experience.
Prizes were awarded to the top three teams. Sweet Home High School winners received scholarship money from MidCity Office Furniture, Tops Friendly Markets gift cards, Perry’s Ice Cream certificates, as well as the honor of taking the engraved Wall Street Bull Trophy, sponsored by Northwest Bank, back to the school for the year. Each member of the second-place team won basket with a Kinde HD, case, wireless ear buds and battery charger provided by BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. The third-place winners received Visa gift cards courtesy of West Herr Automotive Group. Top team members went home with New Era Caps.
Participating high schools for the 2018 JA Stock Market Challenge are: Academy School BPS 131, Alden High School, Alexander High School, Allegany-Limestone High School, Amherst Central High School, Attica High School, Byron-Bergen High School, Cardinal O’Hara, Charter High School for Applied Technologies, City Honors, Clarence High School, Depew High School, Dunkirk High School, Ellicottville High School, Emerson School of Hospitality, Falconer High School, Fredonia High School, Hamburg High School, Hutch Tech High School, Jamestown High School, Le Roy High School, Lockport High School, Math Science Tech Prep, Mt. St. Mary Academy, Niagara Falls High School, Nichols School, Pembroke High School, Pioneer High School, St. Francis School, Sweet Home High School, Tonawanda High School, West Seneca East High School, and West Seneca West High School.
Proceeds from the JA Stock Market Challenge support the event as well as Junior Achievement’s financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career and work-readiness programs for kindergarten through 12th grade students. In the 2017-18 school year, Junior Achievement of WNY enriched the lives of 15,751 students in 161 schools and community organizations throughout the eight counties of Western New York.