By Carlena Knight
Irene B Williams Secondary School will represent Antigua and Barbuda at the inaugural Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE) Regional Schools Investment Competition.
The initiative, which commenced on February 16 with an education webinar and competition briefing, enables students to experience securities market activity firsthand.
It is a collaborative effort of the ECSRC, (the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission) and licensed broker-dealers, with the aim of exciting and inspiring young people to learn more about investing, while at the same time helping to create a pathway for young investors to become active market participants in the future.
The ‘Green Magnates Ent’ from the Irene B Williams Secondary School were crowned winners in the national leg which took place from February 27 to March 3.
Javorn Simon, Raffael Davis, Leonid Julian, Justin Wilson, Alanna Merchant and Dante Manning were elated by their success.
“I feel that this accomplishment has helped me with learning about taking risks no matter the outcome. It has also invoked a sense of pride because I was able to represent my school and country,” Merchant said.
Merchant’s sentiments were echoed by both Davis and Simon who said they were not only proud to represent the country but also to “learn about investing in money”.
Their Principles of Business teacher, Antonia Sampson, also expressed her joy over what her students were able to achieve in a short space of time.
“I am extremely proud of this young team of third, fourth and fifth form students who accepted the challenge of entering the unknown world of securities exchange and investment knowing that it would be a challenge from beginning to end.
“Their learning curve was short, yet steep and they thought out each decision and managed each risk with enthusiasm and skill.
“Their goal was to ultimately move to the regional round of competition. In achieving this intra-country win, Green Magnates Ent now represents their school, country and themselves at a high level, an honour that they hold dear,” Sampson said.
The team will join five other winners from the Eastern Caribbean – Arthur Waldron Seventh-Day Adventist Academy (Dominica), the Anglican High School (Grenada), Vieux-Fort Comprehensive Secondary School (St Lucia), Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (St Kitts and Nevis), and St Martin’s Secondary School (St Vincent and the Grenadines) – in the next phase of the competition which will determine the regional champion.
That competition is already underway. It began on Monday and will culminate next Tuesday. Also competing are schools from two nearby British overseas territories – the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School’s Rainbow City Investors, out of Anguilla, and the Montserrat Secondary School’s MONEY G.R.R.A.M.S.
