Most people consult their financial advisors for investing tips and strategies. Now we might just start asking our students.

St. Aloysius High School seniors Cass Hudson, Lofton Varner and Lyndsey Cowart were named second-place winners in the spring senior division of the Mississippi Stock Market Game.

“I am so excited that we did so well,” Hudson said. “We were fortunate to have a good group that took the time to research stocks at low prices that had signs and the potential of rising quickly. We gambled choosing these risky stocks, and it paid off in the end.”

The simulation is a learning tool available about the free enterprise system for students in grades four through 12. The program enables teams of students to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in the stock market over a 15-week period. Winners are determined on the percentage return above or below S&P 500 growth. St. Aloysius High School outperformed the S&P by 18.2% and grew their portfolio to $128,712 over the 15-week session.

Varner and Cowart both said the competition was a fun experience.

“It took some time to research which company was the best to invest in,” Varner said. “My group and I learned many things about the stock market, and we got lucky that our investments turned out the way we hoped they would.”

Cowart said she’s looking forward to putting her newfound knowledge to use in the future.

“Although the competition was fun, it was also a bit challenging figuring out what stocks were the best ones to buy,” she said. “It really helped me learn about how the stock market works and some things to look out for if I ever want to invest my own money into the stock market.”

The team was honored at the Mississippi Council on Economic Education’s Annual Awards Ceremony May 10 at Mississippi College in Clinton.

The curriculum used in the stock market game is correlated with national and state standards.  Teachers report math scores increase when the stock market game is used in the classroom.

The Stock Market Game is an online education program used in thousands of classrooms nationwide to help teach math, social studies, business, economics and language skills. It is the only stock market simulation supported by the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Sponsors for the 2015-2016 Stock Market Game program are Atmos Energy, BancorpSouth, Entergy, MGM Foundation, Regions Bank, and Trustmark National Bank.