Douglass Student Wins InvestWrite Contest – Again!

In Josephine Frimpong’s award-winning essay, her careful analysis of investment decisions, risk management, and long-term portfolio planning earned first place in Kentucky and first place nationally among over 1,500 high school entries in SIFMA Foundation’s 2026 InvestWrite competition. 

Josephine and Douglass teacher Bradley Scroggin were recognized this summer by the SIFMA Foundation. Notably, she also won the national contest the year before as an eighth grader. 

Josephine, now a rising sophomore at Frederick Douglass High, reflected on her most and least favorite Stock Market Game investments – exploring the pressure of market swings and the importance of research, discipline, and planning. By connecting her experience investing in a volatile market to an improved long-term, diversified strategy for the future, Josephine wowed the thousands of financial professionals judging InvestWrite’s analyst-style essays.

Her entry stood out for its clear reasoning and practical application of investing principles. Rather than focusing only on performance, she demonstrated an understanding of asset allocation, long-term planning, and how to refine a strategy based on experience.

The Winning Essay

“Curious Minds Spark Courageous Finds”

By Josephine Frimpong

“When I was younger, I was taught that curiosity killed the cat. Anytime I asked a question, this same saying would be replayed in my mind. Why wasn’t I allowed to be curious? What was so wrong about asking questions that made it a threat? Rather than allowing these words to hinder me, I let them propel me into a mindset that encouraged me to be curious in various aspects of life. As I dived deeper, it led me to opportunities I could’ve never imagined. 

Curiosity has allowed me to change my view of what the stock market truly is about. It has completely shifted my perspective on education. I value it as a form of growth rather than hindrance. This passion for education and risk taking has allowed me to grow in confidence when investing in stock portfolios that prioritize diversification and include mutual funds, bonds, index funds, and even stocks outside of my areas of interest. Curiosity has peaked my interest in these things and has inspired me to build on my passion for education and personal finance. It’s helped me realize that risk taking is less about making the right decision but the willingness to try new things even when others tell us otherwise.

For many others like me, I was taught that the stock market was a danger that should be avoided due to the idea of it being a “scam.” Being surrounded by people who were reluctant also made me view it as a danger zone to hide from. This mindset completely shifted when I was introduced to The Stock Market Game in the 8th Grade. I didn’t realize that the stock market was less of a game about perfection, but rather a lifelong lesson about the importance of calculated risk. If it weren’t for curiosity, I would not have gained the confidence to invest in stocks the way I do right now. It has allowed me to use determination and passion to invest in stocks that represent my values. I challenged myself to learn about the various areas of success within each category before making investment decisions. These two skills enabled me to grow and make the decision to step away from these fixed mindsets that hindered my growth.

On my journey, shifting my perspective on the stock market allowed me to view it as a test of growth. One of the main hindrances for me when I first began was that I lacked a sense of comfortability with where I was. When I saw that a stock was succeeding, I lost interest in expanding beyond it. However, I grew to learn the importance of a diversified portfolio quickly. Hearing from professionals, they all highlighted that a diversified portfolio was a sign of a well-rounded individual. According to Investopedia, “Diversification proactively balances your portfolio…instead of attempting to maximize your returns by investing in the most profitable companies, you enact a defensive position when diversifying.”

This year, I combined my love of curiosity with strategy. I created a diversified portfolio that allowed me to grow in various areas and prevent the damage of over-reliance within one area. I invested in stocks in companies such as Costco, Spotify, McGraw Hill, and Afya Limited. During the Spring challenge, I was able to widen my understanding of how global events (i.e., Iranian conflict) impact market performance. It is one thing to read about how a war can impact the stock market, it is a different thing to see it directly impacting my stock holdings. Although my interests lie mainly with medical and educational-based stocks, I created a stock portfolio beyond these industries. I wanted to make sure I didn’t put all “my eggs in one basket.”

Over the next 10 years, I will rebalance my portfolio to include stocks that continue to have a focus on education and medicine with roughly 30% being allotted to this aspect. For the next 30%, I will add index funds such as the S&P 500 to ensure broad market exposure. As more and more companies emerge to foster societal growth, I will allocate 30% of my portfolio to this area. For the final 10%, I will let curiosity take charge. More specifically, I will focus on companies with new inventions, new ideas, and even new people. Continuing to invest in stocks that support my interests and beyond are essential in chartering success. For instance, investing outside of education and medical companies such as McGraw Hill and AFYA Limited will allow me to expand in areas beyond the ones that solely fall under my areas of interest. This diversification between stocks and index funds will allow me to create a safety net. If one area falls, I have my other areas to compensate. 

I want to use my opportunities and experiences about the stock market to make education more accessible within rural communities. For me, in communities like my own where the stock market carries a negative connotation, I want to inspire others about how the Stock Market Game has changed my life, and when used with caution, it’s something we can truly appreciate. All in all, the Stock Market Game has helped me realize that diversification is fueled by curiosity. Curiosity fuels our desire to go deeper into opportunities that are beyond what we already know. Curiosity inspires the courageous individuals who will someday become the next leaders.

Whether it’s diversifying our portfolios to include areas outside our comfort zone or taking risks, it’s about being able to look beyond what we see at the moment and our willingness to take risks that propel us into what lies beyond. The next move we’re too scared to take, the next decision we’re too scared to make, it all lies within the wonders of curiosity.”

About the Contest 

InvestWrite is the culminating written challenge of the SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game, a curriculum-based simulation in which students in grades 4-12 learn saving and investing fundamentals and manage a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and cash on a real-world online trading platform. Since 1977, the program has reached more than 24 million youth and is widely recognized for strengthening academic achievement in math, economics, and personal finance.