At the start of the school year, the DECA club began its annual stock market game. Each group starts with 100 thousand virtual dollars which they use to invest in the real-life stock market. The students have three months to invest their money into almost any stock they want. The goal is to make as much money as possible. The top 25 groups in the region make it to the national competition which takes place in Orlando, Florida.
All students involved in DECA are allowed to partake in the stock market game. DECA sponsor Steve Haderlein was able to talk about the basics of the game for this year.
“It’s a game where students are given 100 thousand dollars, of fake money, to invest in the stock market,” Haderlein said. “It’s a way to get an experience of all things investing,”
Given that the primary purpose of DECA is to prepare kids for future careers in business management and finance, this is a valuable hands-on experience for participants. Haderlein also explained what to expect in terms of the stock market game for the next couple of weeks.
“In a few weeks, kids in the stock market game will come in and talk to each other about what they’re trading, they compare portfolios and see who’s invested in what,” Haderlein said.
Communication is important if students want to find success in the stock market game. DECA president, Jacob Perry talked about the importance of teamwork in the game and how it plays a huge role.
“You see a stock that you think is a good investment and you show it to your teammates and they show you the red flags that come with it,” Perry said. “In terms of decision making the whole team has to be on board, you can’t have one person for the stock and one person against it.”
DECA continues to rake in more members every year who are looking to expand their knowledge of business and finance. New DECA member, Baron Smelser, talked about his feelings toward the stock market game so far and how he plans to use it for his future.
“It’s been a great opportunity for me to learn about this stuff as a new member,” Smelser said. “In college, I hope to go into business finance and business management so this will be a great builder for my college application.”
The club is a great experience, with many good people who are welcoming new members. With more fun plans on the horizon, Perry is looking for more people who are interested in business-related careers.
“If you ever think business is something you would go into, I think joining DECA would be beneficial and the stock market game is that first step,” Perry said.
