Stock-picking Students Head to NYSE

 

Two teams of Los Angeles high school students took part in an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City this week to visit the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq exchange and the Federal Reserve.

The winning teams also received a check for $500.

The financial whizzes hailed from the Pilgrim School, a private institution near downtown Los Angeles (whose team is pictured above), and the California Academy of Math and Science, a Long Beach Unified School District campus in Carson (team pictured below).

 The two schools won the trip after successfully playing the stock market with a $100,000 simulated portfolio. Each team also had to submit an essay and deliver a presentation addressing the current state of the economy, complete with recommendations for Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Both teams recommended keeping interest rates steady, which is what the Fed has been doing, said Amanda Lleshdedaj, marketing director for California Council on Economic Education, which sponsored the contest.

In all, 289 teams competed from the Los Angeles area, with students from 10 teams making the final round.

The nonprofit Council provides teachers and students with curriculum and programs to improve economic and financial literacy.

The Orange County Capital Markets Contest took place May 30 at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Los Angeles Branch. On that round, the first place team was The Pilgrim School. Its teacher advisor is Daniela Baron. The team members are Saleha Bhatti, Edward Ko, Edward Lee and Felema Yemane.

The Los Angeles Capital Markets Contest took place May 28 at Univision in Los Angeles. In this competition, the California Academy of Mathematics and Science claimed the top prize. Its teacher advisor is Greg Fisher. The team members are Dora Dura, Nik Matelero, Emma Ogiemwanye and Jamal Saleh.

Major funding for the contest was provided by Chartered Financial Analysts Society of Los Angeles.

Details about the Capital Markets Contest can be found at:

http://www.ccee.org/about/about.php?id=218&cat_id=2&parent=0.

--Howard Blume