Echoing the immortal words of Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it’s done,” Cade Boudreaux, a sixth-grader at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic School, defied the odds by creating a diversified investment portfolio aimed at securing long-term financial success.
Boudreaux’s investment strategy placed him first in the state in the middle school division of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation’s Fall 2023 InvestWrite competition.
In recognition of his accomplishment, Boudreaux and his teacher, Tara Meleones, were honored by the SIFMA Foundation and the Mississippi Council on Economic Education (MCEE) during the MCEE’s recent wards ceremony.
The SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite national essay competition serves as a bridge between classroom education in mathematics, social studies, language arts and the practical application of research and knowledge essential for saving, investing and long-term financial planning. The competition is a culminating activity for the acclaimed Stock Market Game™, a curriculum-based financial education program challenging students to manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and cash. InvestWrite empowers students to apply their hands-on learning in real-world scenarios that teach the fundamentals of investing.
“It brings me immense joy to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Cade and his teacher for a remarkable achievement in InvestWrite,” said Melanie Mortimer, president of the SIFMA Foundation. “Cade’s essay details a very thoughtful and compelling plan for long-term financial independence. His achievement signals the value of early financial education in setting youth on a path to positive financial life outcomes.”
The Stock Market Game and InvestWrite are offered in Mississippi through the Mississippi Council on Economic Education.
“We honor and congratulate our InvestWrite winning student and teacher,” said Selena Swartzfager, president of MCEE. “Helping Mississippi students better understand our economy, our markets, the role of investors and how to make good investments will pay dividends for the students, their education and the Mississippi economy. The Stock Market Game is more relevant today than ever. In addition to teaching about the economy, it is a STEM-related hands-on tool to develop math skills.”
“I have learned many valuable lessons while playing the Stock Market Game,” wrote Boudreaux, “mainly that good investors do research before investing in different stocks…In ten years, I intend to be in college. When I go to college, I will probably need to take out student loans. If I invest in stocks now, I will have money to pay off my student loans…Investing in stocks is a life skill that will benefit me for a lifetime.”
