Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge

Press release:

During the month of April, 598 WNY students participated in a lively, month-long competition of trading through their participation in the Junior Achievement Virtual Stock Market Challenge. Students represented twenty schools from across WNY and competed to take top prize  

Prior to the JA Stock Market Challenge, JA provides their JA Take Stock in Your Future curriculum to introduce students to basic concepts about how the market works and the impact of current events. The curriculum also includes a series of self-guided extension activities for students to engage in deeper learning about the stock market and investing.  

Wells Fargo is the Presenting sponsor of this unique and interactive JA learning experience, with one competition held earlier this school year and another session during this spring semester. 

The competition was held online and allows students to experience the real-life stock market in a simulated environment. Students chose to compete as individuals or as teams. Participants began with a $25,000 starting portfolio and were encouraged to make transactions throughout the month. Leaderboards were dynamic and shared weekly using the hashtag #JAWNYStockMarketChallenge. 

At the close of the competition, Junior Achievement (JAWNY) is pleased to recognize our top three winners, all from Alexander High School. Taking 1st place was Donald Donnelly, 2nd place Ian Edmonds and 3rd place Natalie Whitmore.  

Donald Donnelly said, “Due to the economy during this time the stock market was really tricky to deal with… Luck turned in my favor and I ended up winning, great experience!” Ian Edmonds said of the experience, “I learned to have a keen eye for news that hits the airwaves during after-hours. Because that information is almost certainly going to drive a stock one way or another."  

Rounding out the Top 10 rankings are:  

• 4th place: Ethan Foose-Furnik - St. Francis High School 
• 5th place: Kyle Porter, Oakfield-Alabama High School 
• 6th place: Alicia McCarthy-Alexander High School 
• 7th place: Mohamed Hussein-Lafayette International High School 
• 8th place: Bryce Roberts- St. Francis High School 
• 9th place: Dylan Kaczmarksi- St. Francis High School 
• 10th place: Kylee Williamson- Jamestown High School  

Students who placed in the top ten all received prizes, including iPad Air donated by HSBC Bank, Visa gift cards courtesy of West Herr, Tops Friendly Markets gift card, Six Flags Darien Lake passes and Perry’s Ice Cream prize packs. 

Participating Schools: 

Erie County: Academy School- BPS #131, Alden High School, Amherst High School, Clarence High School, East Aurora High School, Emerson High School, Hamburg High School, Kenmore East High School, Lafayette International High School, Pioneer High School, St. Francis High School, Grand Island High School. 

Niagara County: Lockport High School, Niagara Falls High School. 

Genesee County: Alexander High School, Batavia High School, LeRoy High School, Oakfield-Alabama High School. 

Chautauqua County: Jamestown High School. 

Wyoming County: Attica High School. 

On Thursday (Nov. 15) 15 Byron-Bergen High School students joined more than 500 other students from area districts to compete in the 10th annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.

Four of the 132 teams competing were comprised of students from Marian Gerhardy’s Economics class. Each team started with an imaginary $1 million and each passing minute represented a trading day. Students bought and sold pretend stocks in an effort to gain the largest profit.

“It is hectic and quite fun,” said Gerhardy, whose students have been participating since 2011 and were the first from Genesee County to compete.

As the final “trading day” closed out, the Byron-Bergen team of Lydia Campbell, Anthony DiQuattro, Jared Fregoe, and MacKenzie Rosse had achieved a 36.18 percent return on investment and a second-place overall finish.