First place went to Salem High School Sophomore Renee Burgess, who received a $5,000 scholarship. Second place went to Clarkston High School Junior Landon Butcher, who received a $2,000 scholarship, and third place went to Novi High School Senior Alexander Elliot, who received a $1,000 scholarship.  The InvestWrite Essay winner is Berkley High School Junior Benjamin Lerner. Lerner was awarded a $500 scholarship.

“This was a banner year for our program,” said Bloomfield Hills Financial Founder & CEO Kevin VanDyke. “We had high participation numbers and are very proud of all of our scholarship winners. Educating students about the various factors that can impact investments is key, and it gets them on the right track to better understand the market. I feel this program has been even more relevant over the past 16 months, and the lessons they have gleaned are life-long.”

The Stock to Scholarship Challenge, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, was created by VanDyke to help high school students understand the basics of investing in the stock market by participating in a risk-free environment with the goal to win scholarship money. Each participating student was provided access to an online investment account pre-funded with $100,000 in “play money” which they used to purchase various stocks and mutual funds. Participants placed trades in their portfolios at will with the goal to amass more “money” in their account than any other participant. The challenge was Inspired by Van Dyke’s own experience with investing during his college years.

The contest has grown in popularity over the years, with more than 352 participants from 79 schools across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties in 2021.

About Bloomfield Hills Financial

Founded in 1999 by Kevin VanDyke, Bloomfield Hills Financial (BHF) is an independently owned wealth management company offering securities, brokerage, and investment advisory services to individuals, executives, and business owners to pursue the preservation of their purchasing power throughout their lifetime.

BHF believes success in investing is a direct result of prudent, objective planning, discipline, and honesty.