The University of Illinois Springfield College of Business and Management is proud to share the success of the spring 2025 High School Stock Trading Competition, led by UIS Assistant Professors of Finance Serkan Karadas and Tammy Schlosky. Now in its third year, the competition saw an impressive increase in student participation and school engagement. More than 250 high school students participated in the virtual stock trading competition, where nearly $4,000 in prizes were awarded.

This semester’s top-performing students came from New Berlin, Rochester and Lanphier high schools. Over the two-month period, students showcased exceptional stock trading skills, with the first-place portfolio earning a return of 2,098%. The fifth-place winner achieved an impressive 557% return. Prizes for the winners were funded by the UIS Strategic Investment Fund, with the first-place winner taking home $1,250.

"Our competition is pretty cool because it helps high school students experience finance firsthand and have some fun while they get a chance to win real money,” said Schlosky. “What is better than that?"

Serkan and Schlosky hope to continue expanding this program into rural high schools in the future.

To learn more about earning a finance degree at UIS, visit the UIS College of Business and Management.