HJHS students Mary Adams, Tori Argenti and Sierra Keith, from left, are fifth, sixth and ninth place winners in SIFMA Foundation’s 2013 InvestWrite essay competition.

Hartselle Junior High School students continue to rank among the nation’s best when it comes to writing about the experience of participating in the Stock Market Game.

The top 10 national winners in SIFMA Foundation’s 2013 InvestWrite essay competition includes three students from HJHS. They are Mary Adams, fifth place; Tori Argenti, sixth place; and Sierra Keith, ninth place. Their teacher sponsor is gifted specialist Elisa Harris.

The three winners and their teacher received awards at a student assembly Monday. Each received a national certificate of recognition and a $50 gift card. Attending the announcement and awards presentation were students, faculty, administrators, family members and representatives of the Alabama Council on Economic Education.

The competition’s grades 6-8 division received 674 entries from throughout the nation.

The essay competition challenges students to analyze an investment scenario and portfolio allocations to help students develop skills needed to make real-world financial decisions. It is a culminating activity for the Stock Market Game. Both competitions are offered in Alabama by the Alabama Council on Economic Education.

InvestWrite invites students to develop the personal financial knowledge needed to make real-world financial decisions with confidence and a deeper understanding of opportunities, consequences and benefits. Students consider real-world economic events and trends, conduct research online, develop investment recommendations and, in the process, gain the skills to prepare for their own financial future. They work in groups during the Stock Market Game program and then write essays individually about their experience.

The fall 2013 winning investWrite essays were chosen through rigorous judging by thousands of financial industry professionals who evaluate students’ understanding of asset allocation, the stock market, and factors that drive investment as well as their expression of investment in essay form.

“A greater emphasis on financial essentials is absolutely crucial to empowering people and communities and creating stronger economies and financial markets. Congratulations to all of the students, teachers and judges who learned and taught these valuable lessons,” said Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and chief financial officer of McGraw Hill Financial.

“SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game and InvestWrite are transformative programs that prepare students for college, career and life,” said Melanie Mortimer, executive director of the SIFMA Foundation. “Our students do measurably better on math, economics and personal finance tests. They also learn to work on teams, manage change, monitor and analyze the impact of global business and economic activity, and become smart consumers.”