Clarence High School Students Find Success in Stock Market Competition

Students in Clarence High School’s Academy of Business and Finance found success as they rode the ups and downs of a simulated stock exchange during the JA Stock Market Challenge.

Four student teams from the academy joined squads from across the region at the May 2, 2025 event at the Erie 1 BOCES Education Campus in West Seneca, organized by Junior Achievement of Western New York, Inc. During the competition, students simulated trading with fictitious money over the course of an hour, with each minute acting as a day in time. Students had to make quick decisions based on market news presented throughout the hour.

“It’s a frenzy,” said Heather Hartmann, business teacher and the academy’s director.

Rising to the top was the team of juniors Arden Jalal and Timothy Simard along with sophomore Patrick Mohr. Despite using a higher-risk strategy with fewer, larger trades of their allotment of fictitious money, Jalal said, “we felt confident.” Two other teams finished in the top five, with a fourth team near the top of the leaderboard for most of the event. 

“The level of engagement they have is so high,” Hartmann said. “Learning skills like financial literacy is so important for their development.”

The Clarence High School Academy of Business and Finance is a three-year experience for students which pairs skill-developing curriculum with work-based learning opportunities, preparing students for business careers and higher education. The program is affiliated with the national NAF organization. 

More information about the academy can be found at https://www.clarenceschools.org/schools/clarence-high-school/academics/academy-of-business-and-finance/what-is-the-academy.