Aspen High School student benefits from financial literacy camp

Aspen High School freshman wins $5,000 in investing competition. She attributes her success to newfound knowledge of investing and financial literacy.

Emma Jane Mallory, a freshman at Aspen High School, recently won $5,000 for participating in an investing competition with Finance Camp, a Carbondale-based organization. However, she believes that the real prize is the newfound knowledge of investing and increased financial literacy that she has gained from the experience.

The Finance Camp, founded by Ron Speaker, was attended by 12 students in June 2023. Speaker, a Carbondale resident, established the camp to educate young adults in the valley about investment and money management. The one-week camp was followed by an investing competition that ran until the end of the year, during which the 14-15-year-old students put their investment skills to the test by strategically buying and selling stocks. The student who made the most money at the end of the year was awarded the grand prize.

Mallory emerged as the winner, edging out her competitors by a mere $9.

The investing competition served as the culmination of the skills that Speaker imparted to the students during the Finance Camp. The program was designed to help students in the Roaring Fork Valley make informed decisions about their finances.

The students, who received $500 on the first day of the camp after completing 25 hours of community service, were given an additional $750 after passing a 25-question financial literacy exam. They were then taught how to strategically invest in stocks and create an investing profile using the funds provided by Speaker.

Speaker taught the students how to invest in companies strategically, utilizing current events to inform their purchases and knowing when to divest from a stock.

He encouraged the students to exercise patience and invest in companies they are familiar with and fond of.

Mallory, who invested in companies such as Target and Lululemon, attributes her victory to her decision to follow Speaker's advice.

She also conducted research on articles and decided to invest in new electric car companies after her family recently purchased an electric car.

In addition to her $5,000 prize, Mallory earned an additional $1,500 and plans to invest the total amount.

While winning the competition was exciting for Mallory, she believes that the skills she has acquired are invaluable. She hopes to use her knowledge to invest for college and help her friends and family make informed investment decisions.

Mallory's main goal is to spread awareness about investing and encourage others to invest as well.

Applications for the 2024 Finance Camp are now open and can be accessed at thefinancecamp.com. The camp, which is scheduled to run from June 10-14, caters to students from Aspen to Glenwood Springs.