HCTC DECA Member Earns Recognition in DECA Stock Market Game

Ryan Thomas, a Hamilton Career & Technology Center DECA member and a junior at Seneca High School, received 5th place out of 618 teams in the Southern region and 22nd in the country out of over 4700 teams during the 2020-2021 DECA Stock Market Game, an online competition hosted by DECA Inc. and administered by the SIFMA Foundation.

DECA members were challenged with developing and managing a virtual investment portfolio of stocks, bonds and mutual funds, with the aim of increasing the value of their portfolio, while maintaining its diversity. Rankings were based on the percentage growth above or below the value of the S&P 500.

The top 25 teams in each region qualify to present their portfolio during the 2021 DECA Virtual International Career Development Conference (ICDC) this April. In the ICDC competitive event, teams will defend their investment decisions with a written document describing their project and a 15-minute oral presentation.

Thomas attributes his success to a desire to “be financially independent one day.”

Thomas said, “I have the vision made in my head, that when I wake up every morning, I see if I can inch closer to that goal.”

DECA’s online events provide opportunities for students to participate in online simulations to learn how to invest in the stock market, manage personal finances, or operate a business venture.