Learning the risk and reward of Wall Street, Great Bend High School students and USD 428 staff participated in the annual Hiss Sherman Investment Challenge during the month of February.
Utilizing a software called “How the Market Works,” 280 students and 40 staff members started the month with $100,000 in virtual cash to invest according to what they have been learning in class and their own discretion. The online trading platform provides research tools, investment content, and real-time trading to simulate participation in the stock market.
At the end of the month-long simulation, the top three student winners were Braxton Love, first; Andrew Neiman, second; and Connor DeLong, third. Combined, these three students saw gains of over $77,000 from their investing strategies.
“In five years we’ve grown the simulation from 40 participants to over 280,” said Lacy Wolters, GBHS career/ACT coordinator. “It’s exciting to see this enthusiasm around this exercise grow. It’s nice to see students participating year after year and growing their knowledge and insight in the stock market.”
“The investment challenge allows students to apply what they are learning in the classroom to a realistic simulation,” said Wolters. “Students experience the movement of the market in real-time, both positive and negative, during the course of the month-long competition, and February 2022 was a wild ride.”
“It’s our hope to give students a good, real-life foundation in the world of investments and financial planning,” said Matt Hiss, investment advisor representative with Hiss-Sherman Wealth Management. “We receive great feedback from this program as participation continues to nearly double each year. Their excitement tells us we are offering a program that students both learn from and enjoy. We are happy to partner with the school to give students and staff members this experience.”
Hiss Sherman Wealth Management also opened a staff version of the competition again this year, which awarded prizes to the top three USD 428 staff traders in the virtual simulation. Science teacher Bill Cook placed first, social studies teacher Kyle Kriegh placed second, and Great Bend Middle School STEM teacher Amy Stein placed third.
For more information on the Great Bend High School Personal Finance and Investing class or the “How the Market Works” simulation, please contact Lacy Wolters at 620-793-1521.
