Anna Barry, award winner, with finance instructor, Jesse Hunt
Anna Barry, Waukee High School 2023 graduate, finished first place in the statewide Iowa High School Division for SIFMA’s InvestWrite national essay competition. Anna also finished in fourth place nationally. APEX has had several state winners in the past. However, Anna is the first national finalist for the program.
The InvestWrite competition is an innovative national writing challenge that is produced by The Stock Market GameTM, a program of the SIFMA Foundation. One of the overarching goals is to add a critical thinking component to help reinforce concepts learned in the classroom, and it serves as a great exercise for students to articulate their investment strategies. Being a part of this challenge allows students to gain a better feel for what professionals do to design-implement-monitor their strategies, and pitch them to prospective clients. Through this process, students also discover unique details about companies (environmental issues, workforce support, etc.) that many adults are often unaware of. This year’s essay theme was to teamwork within the field.
Anna was presented with her award during a surprise meeting with APEX finance instructor Jesse Hunt, along with her family. Anna’s first-place finish in Iowa and fourth-place finish nationally brings with it a $200 gift card, a banner, a medal, and a trophy that will be displayed at the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center. Congratulations to Anna on a job well done!