Junior Achievement Announces Winners of April Virtual Stock Market Challenge

(Buffalo, NY) – 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 competition, Junior Achievement (JAWNY) is pleased to recognize our top three winners, all from Alexander High School. Taking 1^st place was Donald Donnelly, 2^nd place Ian Edmonds and 3^rd 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:

4^th place: Ethan Foose-Furnik - St. Francis High School

5^th place: Kyle Porter, Oakfield-Alabama High School

6^th place: Alicia McCarthy-Alexander High School

7^th place: Mohamed Hussein-Lafayette International High School

8^th place: Bryce Roberts- St. Francis High School

9^th place: Dylan Kaczmarksi- St. Francis High School

10^th 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.

This program is not possible without support from Sponsors: Presenting – Wells Fargo; Additional support from: BankOnBuffalo; Delta Air Lines; The Lenna Foundation; HSBC Bank; Bryant & Stratton College; Tops Friendly Markets; Perry’s Ice Cream; Zgoda and Associates CPAs,; PwC; Reid Family Foundation.; Deloitte; Evans Bank; KPMG LLP; Lawley; Linde; Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP; National Fuel; Phillips Lytle LLP; SEFCU; Seneca Foods Foundation; WSF Industries, Inc.; West Herr Automotive Group; L&M Wealth Management; Financial Trust Federal Credit Union, Freed Maxick CPAs; Gramkee Financial Consulting, KeyBank N.A.; Lakelet Capital LLC, MidCity Office Furniture; Monofrax; Northwest Bank; SendYourKidsToCollege.com, Stahlka Agency; TriMain Development.

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

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