1st place team-“Justin Case” is Daniel Oro, Robert Stark, Neo Chen, Caleb Thompson, and Jacobo Polanco. {JPT}
Students from J.P. Taravella High School dominated the Junior Achievement of South Florida Stock Market Challenge, sweeping first, second, and third place and edging out Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the investing competition.
Held February 24–26 at the JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion in Coconut Creek, the annual challenge brings together high school students to test their financial knowledge and teamwork in a live stock market simulation.
During the competition, student teams were given $500,000 in simulated currency and tasked with building and managing a stock portfolio using more than 25 fictional companies. Over a simulated 60-day trading period, teams tracked market news, monitored stock prices, and placed buy and sell orders through volunteers acting as live traders in a loud, energetic trading-floor environment.
When the final numbers were tallied, J.P. Taravella teams claimed all three podium spots and walked away with cash prizes.
The first-place team, “Justin Case,” consisted of 10th graders Daniel Oro, Robert Stark, Neo Chen, Caleb Thompson, and Jacobo Polanco.
The second-place team, “Alien,” included Oscar Alanzo (11th grade), Andres Murillo (12th grade), Sohan Patel (12th grade), and Xavier Jimenez (12th grade).
2nd place team “Alien” is Oscar Alanzo, Andres Murillo, Sohan Patel, and Xavier Jimenez. {JPT}
The third-place team, “Titanium,” featured John Almeida (10th grade), Adamo Velucci (12th grade), Nico Rosenstock (12th grade), Ryan Dolan (11th grade), Jake Miller (12th grade), and Nicholas Lacey (9th grade).
The students were guided by teachers Jessica Osadczuk, Ursule Polynice, and Christopher Leporte, who helped prepare the teams through classroom lessons on investing and stock market fundamentals before the competition.
Osadczuk tells Coral Springs Talk that the program gives students the opportunity to apply classroom lessons to real-world financial situations.
“I love the Stock Market Challenge and JA programs because they allow the students the opportunity to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to real life,” Osadczuk said. “Their simulations give students a taste of what it is like to manage their own finances.”
3rd place team “Titanium” is John Almeida, Adamo Velucci, Nico Rosenstock, Ryan Dolan, Jake Miller, and Nicholas Lacey. {JPT}
She added that the students’ success was due to extensive preparation and dedication to their goals.
“The students are very proud of their accomplishments. We have been working hard to prepare for this, and to see the kids excel and win has been a source of pride for all of us,” she said, “Winning teams left with cash prizes, so their success resulted in increased wealth.”
J.P. Taravella, Principal Marietta DeArmas, also celebrated the victory.
“Here at JPT, we are a family,” DeArmas told Coral Springs Talk, adding comments that made it clear the competitive fire is still at a sizzle, “There are two kinds of people… Trojans and those who want to be Trojans. WE ARE TROJANS!”
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