CLEVELAND – Michael Brown, a West Rowan Middle eighth grader, has won an investment essay contest sponsored by a financial trade group.

Brown is the North Carolina Winner in the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation’s fall InvestWrite competition.

Brown wrote about coping with the pandemic and his investment interest in American technology companies. He addressed electric car manufacturer Tesla’s pandemic factory adaptations, pairing it with software giant Microsoft and semiconductor companies AMD and Nvidia.

The 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,” an in-person, remote learning and hybrid educational tool in which students invest and manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and cash.

“SIFMA Foundation’s programs give youth of all backgrounds, especially in underserved communities, a real shot at financial independence and economic mobility,” said Foundation President Melanie Mortimer. “We equip and train teachers to offer essential skills and knowledge to their fourth to 12th graders to navigate the capital markets and financial decision-making. To date, we’ve transformed the lives of 20 million students like Michael through learning that is practical and fun.”

The Fall competition challenged students to write an essay about how they’ve adapted to change at some point in their lives, how a publicly traded company has adapted to change, and how that company’s stock could be combined with other stocks, bonds or mutual funds to create a successful long-term portfolio.

Brown developed a plan that would have an impact today and into the future and wowed the team of judges with his essay.

The Stock Market Game and InvestWrite competitions are offered in North Carolina through the North Carolina Council on Economic Education.

The Stock Market Game was made possible by the support of Coastal Credit Union Foundation in areas where their footprint is present and the InvestWrite competition by Fidelity Investments. “We honor and congratulate our InvestWrite winning student and teacher,” said Sandy Wheat, Executive Director of the North Carolina Council on Economic Education, “Helping North Carolina 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 North Carolina economy.”

Brown and his teacher, Raye Brothers, were honored with a surprise virtual presentation by the North Carolina Council on Economic Education and the SIFMA Foundation on Friday.