Want to know what to do with your money? A fourth-grader at Pates Creek Elementary School might be able to help.
Elijah Hill was honored as the national winner in the elementary school division of the SIFMA Foundation’s 2021 InvestWrite competition. He beat out thousands of students around the country with his well-researched essay on long-term financial planning. He and his teacher, Talisa Johnson, were recognized during a March 21 surprise school assembly.
SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite national essay competition bridges classroom learning in math, social studies, and language arts with the practical research and knowledge required for saving, investing and long-term planning. It also serves as a culminating activity for The Stock Market Game, a financial education program in which students invest and manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and cash over a period of 14 weeks, a semester or a school year.
“We congratulate Elijah and his teacher on this remarkable achievement,” said SIFMA Foundation president Melanie Mortimer. “They are a powerful example of the impact our financial education programs can have in classrooms nationwide. We are preparing youth of all backgrounds to navigate the capital markets and financial decision-making, equipping them for lifelong success.”
The Fall 2021 InvestWrite competition challenged students in grades 4-12 to describe an investment portfolio of stocks, bonds and mutual funds in sectors destined to transform the future, from technology, to medicine to transportation and beyond. Students conducted research and contemplated their future lives to determine how industries would evolve and produce new jobs and careers, and how they would invest in this growth. They wrote how stocks, bonds or mutual funds could be combined to create a successful diversified portfolio within these new horizons.
Hill developed a plan that he saw as having a positive impact in the future, and his essay wowed the panel of expert judges. Helpful robots, a cure for cancer, and “smart” add-ons for vehicles were just a few of his predictions.
The 10-year-old was described as a “very sweet, energetic, shy child” with a wild imagination and a love of animals and dinosaurs. He enjoys playing Roblox and Ark as well as spending time with his sister, watching/talking about anime, playing volleyball, and riding his scooter.
He is in the National Beta club this year, logging community service hours and recognition on the “A” honor roll as well as for good attendance.
Noting that Pates Creek is a public Title 1 school, SIFMA Foundation officials affirmed in a statement that the organization believes it can help close the wealth gap in the country by targeting underserved public schools and providing teachers with educational tools for students to learn about the long-term benefits of investing.
