WILMINGTON – A team of three Delaware Tech students recently placed 10 out of 726 teams in a nationwide finance challenge sponsored by TD Ameritrade. The thinkorswim Challenge is a 4-week long trading competition that ran from October 10-November 4. Students compete in teams of 3-4 and trade stocks, options and ETFs in a $500,000 portfolio.
By placing 10th, the Delaware Tech team, Team MandB, consisting of Maddison Toulson (team captain), Namire Wanamaker and Jessica Galindo, are the top community college team in the nation and the top team in Delaware. The students were part of a FIN 221 Money and Banking class taught by Mark E. Handley, Instructional Coordinator of the Department of Business Administration at Delaware Tech’s George Campus in Wilmington.
Team MandB (named after the Money and Banking course the student were part of) had a 30.61% gain, based on a investment strategy focusing on stock options from high-earning companies. “It was an excellent learning experience,” said Maddie Toulson, team captain. “We tweaked our strategy each week based on the results of the previous week and what we thought worked.”
"This is a great achievement for the team in head to head competition with major university teams,” said Mr. Handley. “Through team-captain Maddison’s leadership, this team took the classroom teaching and applied it to markets and real-time information with spectacular results."
The thinkorswim Challenge is offered every year through TD Ameritrade U, an educational program for professors and college-run organizations that provides free access to virtual trading through paperMoney® on the thinkorswim trading platform. TD Ameritrade developed the program in 2014 to help students prepare for the real world of personal finance by giving them the ability to put classroom theory into real-life investing practice. The firm believes that access to leading-edge investment resources and education is the first step in helping young people form investing habits that can last a lifetime.
Watch video to hear from our instructor and the team!