This is an edited version of a press release. The full version can be found here.

On November 15th, a room filled with over 50 volunteers, 141 teams and 570 local students from 33 high schools experienced the thrill of the stock market trading floor at Junior Achievement’s 10^th annual JA Stock Market Challenge.

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” says Trina Burruss, Regional Vice President and Community Relationship Officer at Northwest Bank.

Students from all over WNY competed with a starting portfolio of $1,000,000. Junior Achievement (JA) is pleased to recognize team “Risky Business” from Sweet Home High School, as the first-place winners of the 2018 JA Stock Market Challenge with a 41.25 percent ROI and a net worth of $1,412,489. “The stock market challenge provides students with a challenging and rewarding extended learning opportunity. It provides a means for a very diverse group of students to interact and compete in a friendly environment with students they would normally not have a chance to meet. Friendships begin that hopefully the students take with them the rest of their lives” said Jeff Thomas, Sweet Home High School Business Education Teacher.

Taking second place is “Byron-Bergen Belfort’s” from Byron-Bergen Jr/Sr. High School.They finished with a 36.18 percent increase in their portfolio and a final net worth of $1,361,844.88. “The Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge has never let me or my students down. We all come home excited and energized.  There is no better teacher than experience and they get it with this activity.  It is worth the trip and all the preparation to see students who are sometimes disengaged to be actively involved in decision making and communication. Whether they end up in last or first place, their experience is always positive” said Marian Gerhardy, Business Teacher, Byron-Bergen High School.

In third place from Depew High School is “Cra$hers” with a 36.14 percent increase in their portfolio for a final net worth of $1,361,394.  “The Depew High School Academy of Finance has been participating in the JA Stock Market Challenge for four years. Each year our students rave about the experience, stating how much they learned about investment and trading strategies, as well as the fun that they had competing against all the other schools. Having had three teams finish in the Top 3 over four years has given our students the motivation to outperform their predecessors” said David Maroshick, Business/Computer Technology Teacher, Depew High School.

Rounding out the Top 10 teams are:

• 4^th place: The Defaults, Falconer High School, 34.72% ROI
• 5^th place: 4 Pockets Full, Fredonia Central High School, 33.90% ROI
• 6^th place: I Can’t Believe We Aren’t Bankrupt, Falconer High School, 33.51% ROI
• 7^th place: Stocks by Toto, Sweet Home High School, 33.32% ROI
• 8^th place: Billionaire Boys, Sweet Home High School, 33.08% ROI
• 9^th place: Delavan Wolves, Math Science Tech Prep, 32.44% ROI
• 10^th place: Loss Prevention, Niagara Falls High School, 32.23% ROI

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.