Business students compete in the Ohio Stock Market Challenge

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Ms. Micki Dotson’s Stock Market I class has officially begun participating in the Ohio Stock Market Challenge. This challenge, sponsored by Ashland University, runs over a 10-week period from October 6 to December 2.

The Ohio Stock Market Challenge is an online challenge that allows 200-300 teams from schools all over Northeast Ohio to compete against each other. Teams are given $100,000 to invest in any companies they want, with the goal to make as much money as possible. The top three teams earn a prize of $150, $100, and $50, respectively. This year there are 12 students competing at IHS, each on their own teams.

Under Dotson, IHS has been participating in the challenge for more than 15 years. IHS teams have earned a spot in the top three places nine times before, and won first place last spring with Braeden Lizowski.

To prepare the students for the challenge, Dotson sets up a 3-week in-class contest with paper and pencil. “I also give them tips and strategies. I tell them what to look for, what to pay attention to, what to try, what to give up on,” Dotson added.

Contestants gain valuable skills during the competition. They “definitely learn risk vs. reward” and are “tuning up their analytical skills,” Dotson said.

Additionally, it’s important for them to keep up with current events. “The strategy is you gotta watch the news. You gotta look at the news to know what’s going on nationally and worldwide,” senior Grady Wachs said. Dotson noted how students are paying attention to “how pop culture can make them money.”

Final winners will be revealed when the contest concludes in the beginning of December. Dotson records standings of the teams every Friday at 4:00 p.m. By the end of week three, sophomore Nathan Brunovsky ranked first place in the entire competition.