Arnold Elementary Fifth-Grader Wins Investment Essay Competition

When it comes to writing about investments, students – and, perhaps, adults – could learn a lot from Arnold Elementary School fifth-grader Johan Zacharia.

Johan’s essay was named national champion out of 959 entries in the elementary school division of the national InvestWrite essay competition, the culminating activity to the Stock Market Game program utilized in schools across the United States and organized locally by the Maryland Council on Economic Education (MCEE).

Johan’s work detailed what he learned from his experience in the Stock Market Game, discussed which investment in his portfolio performed the best, and provided a recommendation on a future hypothetical investment.

“I feel proud to have won the InvestWrite award,” Johan said. “I learned a lot and hope to use what I learned in the future.”

Johan wrote that while his involvement in the Stock Market Game was challenging, he learned tactics and strategies that paid off in the end.

“My portfolio performed well because I have a mix of food, entertainment and drinks,” Johan wrote in his essay. “I have Costco because people buy groceries every day. I have Disney, Netflix and Spotify because people watch movies and listen to music. I purchased Pepsi because it is a beverage company and has a good market share of popular snack food.”

Spotify sparked a particular interest for Johan in February, when the Kansas City Chiefs played the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

“My team predicted after the Super Bowl many people would listen to Taylor Swift,” Johan wrote. “So we bought Spotify.”

For winning the competition, Johan will receive a new laptop computer, a camera, and a $50 cash prize. Teacher Amy Phillips will receive a $750 award, and the school will get a trophy to display as well as funds for a student celebration during the school year.

In Maryland, the Stock Market Game and InvestWrite programs are managed by MCEE, a nonprofit organization based at Towson University that is focused on supporting instruction of personal finance and economics in all grade levels and content areas. MCEE provides professional development opportunities for educators, classroom resources, and classroom-based student learning engagement programs. MCEE partners with the Sifma Foundation to deliver the Stock Market Game.

Read Johan's winning essay here.