University of Nebraska–Lincoln freshman Alexa Duwelling captured the eighth place and became the first student from the state of Nebraska to place at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation's InvestWrite® national essay competition. The Husker architecture major and business minor wrote her paper in high school after creating an investment portfolio that would make Nebraska graduate Warren Buffett, '51, proud.

"Congratulations to Alexa for being the first student from Nebraska to place in the national competition. As a senior at Lincoln Southeast High School, she took Jessica Christensen's Wealth Building class and competed in the Stock Market Game™, a curriculum-based financial education program challenging students to manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and cash. After putting together a powerful portfolio, she wrote her winning essay utilizing her investment insight as part of a class assignment," said Lindsay Tillinghast, director of the Lincoln Center for Economic Education and Stock Market Game coordinator for Nebraska.

Both Duwelling and Christensen received monetary awards from the SIFMA Foundation. Duwelling also received funding from the Nebraska Council on Economic Education (NCEE), which holds the exclusive license for the Stock Market Game and the InvestWrite competition in Nebraska and coordinates with teachers around the state for participation.

"We wanted to recognize Alexa and her hard work in the competition while encouraging others to participate in the future. The competition bridges classroom education in mathematics, social studies, language arts and the practical application of research and knowledge essential for saving, investing and long-term financial planning. It also empowers students to apply hands-on learning in real-world scenarios to teach the fundamentals of investing," said Jennifer Davidson, president of the NCEE, which is housed at the Nebraska College of Business.

The SIFMA Foundation fosters greater knowledge of the financial markets for young people of all backgrounds. The InvestWrite® competition is part of a family of financial education programs provided by the SIFMA Foundation to strengthen economic opportunity across communities and increase individuals’ awareness of and access to the benefits of the global marketplace.

“My heartfelt congratulations to Alexa and Jessica for a remarkable achievement in InvestWrite,” said Melanie Mortimer, president of the SIFMA Foundation. “Alexa's essay details a very thoughtful and compelling plan for long-term financial independence. Her achievement signals the value of early financial education in setting youth on a path to positive financial life outcomes.”