The newly established investment club has officially launched this year at New Hartford Senior High School giving students the opportunity to learn about the stock market, financial literacy, and real-world economics.
The club was created by senior Jack Lemura, is advised by personal finance teacher Mr. Goodelle. Together, they hope to help students better understand investing to prepare for their financial futures.
According to Mr. Goodelle, “Jack spearheaded the push to start the club.” He was determined to make a club that will teach his peers how to invest in the future.
Lemura said the idea had been on his mind for a while before he finally decided to make it happen.
“I had thought about starting an investing club at the school for a while,” Lemura explained. “I was talking to my friend Bhavesh who started one at his school and he inspired me to just go out and start it.”
His motivation was clear from the beginning.
“I wanted to promote financial literacy and help kids make money in the long term,” Lemura said. “The market can be really confusing so I wanted to create a space where kids can really learn about it and start investing. Eventually I want the club to be a hub where students can go and talk about their investments.”
Although starting a new club can sometimes be challenging, Lemura said the process went fairly smoothly.
“Creating the club wasn’t too difficult,” Lemura said. “I got all of the signatures I needed relatively quickly. It did take a while for the board to approve it, but that was really the only inconvenience.”
When it came to choosing an advisor, Lemura said the decision was an easy one.
“I picked Mr. Goodelle because he teaches personal finance which deals with the stock market and other ways to make money investing. He also has a huge Wall Street-like display going around his room of all the different stocks.”
Mr. Goodelle shared his excitement about being involved.
“I was very excited to advise the club. We meet every two weeks and talk about financial situations happening in the current economic market,” he said, emphasizing that the club’s main goal is educational.
“The goal is to educate students about the stock market and to improve their overall financial literacy,” he explained. “Yes, I was very excited to help educate more students regarding investing in the stock market and to improve overall financial literacy for all students here at NH.”
Club member Hailie Kress joined after beginning her own investing journey.
“This club first interested me because I’ve recently invested in stocks and I wanted to learn a little bit more about the market,” Kress said. “My first impression of the club was positive because I walked in unsure of what to expect and received a lot of information on economics and how the system works.”
She said the hands-on activities have helped her understand real world investing.
“This helps us learn what to invest and how to keep it up and even fail so you can learn when it comes to real money.”
Kress believes the club benefits the entire school community.
“I think this club is a great addition to the school and is growing each day by helping people prepare for the real world, economics and business,” Kress said. “I would definitely recommend it to anyone no matter who you are or your interests.”
The club has already exceeded expectations.
“So far the club is thriving,” Lemura said. “We have a lot of members and I always see new faces every meeting. It’s way more successful than I could have even imagined when I first had the idea.”
With strong leadership, enthusiastic members, and a focus on financial education, the Investment Club is quickly becoming a valuable opportunity for students at New Hartford Senior High School.
