Junior Achievement Announces Winners of Annual Stock Market Challenge, including In-Person Championship

News Release
May 8, 2024

For more information, contact:
Alycia Ivancie
Program Director
716-853-1381, ext. 215
aivancie@jawny.org

Junior Achievement Announces Winners of Annual Stock Market Challenge, including In-Person Championship

(Buffalo, NY) – This year, over 1,000 WNY students have experienced the highs and lows of the stock market through their participation in the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge. Students from 17 local high schools participated in virtual, two-week-long competitions each semester. During the competition leaderboards were dynamic and shared using the hashtag #JAWNYStockMarketChallenge. We are pleased to announce the winners of each semester’s competition.

Fall 2023 Junior Achievement Virtual Stock Market Challenge Winner: Addie Zahn from Jamestown HS
Spring 2024 Junior Achievement Virtual Stock Market Challenge Winner: Hanzala Zafar from Amherst HS

This year also saw the return of the culminating, in-person JA Stock Market Challenge event in which participating schools were represented by their top performing students from earlier rounds. This championship round engaged 22 student teams competing for top honors and the prestigious “Wall Street Bull” engraved trophy, among other prizes. During this fast-paced competition, students engaged in 60 days of trading, represented by one-minute per day, and starting with a $500,000 portfolio.

Prior to the JA Stock Market Challenge, JA provides our 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 investments.

Wells Fargo is the Presenting Sponsor of this unique and interactive JA learning experience.

At the close of the in-person championship, Junior Achievement of Western New York (JAWNY) is pleased to recognize the following teams with the highest return on investment:

1^st place: Niagara Falls HS “NFHS Blue and Gold” team (Lyrik Hamilton, Steve Batra, Kaden DePadre, Robinyo Robin)
2^nd place: Kenmore East HS “Michigan State Spartans” team (Hari Balakrishman, David Rubrecht, Ivan Rivera)
3^rd place: Lockport HS “The Gold Diggers” team (Michael Lewandowski, Brennan Bowes, Kaylee Burke)

Robinyo Robin, of Niagara Falls said “The challenge was well planned, and it was a great opportunity to learn. It taught us valuable skills that we are sure will be useful to us in the future. The program gave us an opportunity to test everything we learned and know about the stock market. After this contest, we truly comprehend maxims such as "buy low, sell high," and "pay attention to the trends.”

Participating Schools:

Erie County: Alden High School, Amherst High School, Clarence High School, Depew High School, East Aurora High School, Eden High School, Hamburg High School, Kenmore East High School, Lafayette High School, St. Francis High School, St. Mary’s High School, West Seneca East High School

Niagara County: Lockport High School, Niagara Falls High School

Chautauqua County: Cassadaga Valley High School, Falconer High School, Jamestown High School

This program is made possible with support from our partners: Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsor; additional support from: Delta Air Lines; HSBC Bank USA N.A.; The Lenna Foundation; Bryant & Stratton College; Zgoda & Associates CPAs, PC; BankOnBuffalo; Tops Friendly Markets; Perry’s Ice Cream; PwC; Reid Family Foundation / Crosby’s; Seneca Foods Foundation; Deloitte; Evans Bank; KPMG; Lawley; Linde LLC; Lippes Mathias LLP; National Fuel; Broadview Federal Credit Union; West Herr Auto Group; WSF Industries, Inc; Excelsior Orthopaedics; Financial Trust Federal Credit Union; Freed Maxick CPA’s; L&M Wealth Management; Lakelet Capital LLC; MidCity Office Furniture; Northwest Bank; Uniland Development Company; and TriMain Development LLC.

Proceeds from the JA Stock Market Challenge support Junior Achievement’s financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career & work-readiness pathway programs for kindergarten-12 grade students. For more information about Junior Achievement programs, visit www.jawny.org.