Carl Sandburg High School sophomores Brady Hoenig, Madelyn Kasmer, Foster Luckhard and Mark Ruder proved this spring that smart investing and teamwork can pay off.
The four students captured first place in Illinois in the Spring 2026 Stock Market Game after growing a virtual $100,000 portfolio into more than $155,000, a 55% return that topped teams from across the state.
The students, all enrolled in AP Microeconomics, spent months researching companies, following market trends and weighing investment risks as part of the statewide competition. The game simulates real-world investing and challenges students to manage a portfolio in a constantly changing market.
Their teacher and coach, Christina Simpson, said the competition gives students a practical understanding of how the financial world works while also encouraging collaboration and critical thinking.
“I use the game to teach students about investing, the stock market and business,” Simpson said. “I hope students develop a better understanding of opportunities for investment, the balance of risk and reward, and stock market mechanics.”
Simpson said the competition also pushes students to stay informed on current events while strengthening research and analytical skills.
“It’s also a fun way for students to collaborate and investigate current events, as well as build and utilize graph analysis and research skills,” she said.
The Stock Market Game is sponsored nationally by the SIFMA Foundation and introduces students to economics, investing and personal finance through an online simulation of global capital markets. In Illinois, the competition is sponsored by the Illinois Bankers Association.
Simpson has incorporated the Stock Market Game into her classes for nearly 20 years, helping students gain hands-on experience with investing concepts that extend beyond the classroom.
The Sandburg team’s first-place finish marked the culmination of months of strategy, research and careful decision-making in a competitive field filled with schools from throughout Illinois.