Emily Bonavitacola, a 10th grade student at Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, won first place in both New York State and nationally in the SIFMA Foundation’s Fall 2025 InvestWrite competition, a national essay contest that challenges students to demonstrate their understanding of investing and financial markets.
Bonavitacola’s award-winning essay, selected from more than 1,500 submissions nationwide, impressed a panel of professional financial experts with its unique analogy comparing a diversified investment portfolio to a symphony: even if one instrument falters, the rest can keep the music going.
Her creative take on the concept of diversification, paired with real-world investing strategies and personal reflections from participating in the Stock Market Game, earned her the top honor.
“Emily won InvestWrite because she wrote an excellent, excellent essay about how her experience in the Stock Market Game may have benefited from diversification. She talked about how the balance of a portfolio is much like a symphony, where if one instrument falters, the rest keep the music going. It was a well-chosen, creative analogy that made diversification easy to understand, even for adults,” said Melanie Mortimer, president of the SIFMA Foundation.
Bonavitacola’s journey to the top began in her “Wall Street” class, a portfolio management course at Schreiber High School taught by teacher Jennifer Herber. The class introduces students to investing fundamentals through hands-on experience in the Stock Market Game, and the InvestWrite essay serves as their final exam.
“I give this to them as a final,” said Herber. “It’s kind of like, did you understand the whole course? You might have done well in the game, but can you articulate it, can you tell someone how to invest a $10,000 portfolio, for instance? All teachers can submit entries, but I make it a course requirement to write an essay.”
Herber received the call from the SIFMA Foundation a month ago with the incredible news, but kept it a secret until the trophies and memorabilia arrived.
Bonavitacola’s essay not only captured the spirit of diversification but backed it with technical detail, discussing stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Her investment reflections weren’t just theoretical, they were drawn from hard-learned experience in a challenging market.
“We weren’t amazing at investing,” Bonavitacola admitted with a smile. “The market did really bad, and it was kind of stressful. But I think we learned a lot,” said Emily.
Despite not leading her class in portfolio returns, Emily’s insights on rebalancing and recognizing the risks of overexposure to tech stocks reflected a depth of understanding far beyond her years.
The Stock Market Game, which places students in teams to manage a virtual $100,000 portfolio, is not just a simulation, it’s a curriculum-based financial education program that teaches students about asset allocation, global events, capital markets, and essential personal finance skills.
According to Mortimer, this hands-on learning experience has proven invaluable, especially in districts like New York City and Long Island where participation and outcomes have been particularly strong, thanks in part to local support from firms like Broadridge.
“The game gets students excited about the dynamism of the markets,” Mortimer said. “And ultimately, they learn teamwork, current events, and those essential personal finance skills that will help them build financial security later in life.”
For Bonavitacola, the journey wasn’t just about stocks and bonds, it was also about collaboration.
“I think asking for help really made a difference. When I did it alone in elementary school, I was confused. But this time I had Nicole with me, and we figured things out together,” she explained. “We had different ideas and put them together.”
When asked what advice she would give to other students, her answer was humble and thoughtful.
“I’d try the Stock Market Game first, it’s safe, there’s no real money, and you learn a lot. Then maybe you’ll feel ready for the real thing someday,” Emily said.
Agata Bonavitacola, Emily’s mother, said she was surprised after getting the call from Emily’s teacher, Herber.
“I was very surprised because I didn’t even know that my daughter had such great writing skills,” Bonvitacola said.
To sweeten the stakes, Herber had promised her students that any national winner would receive her $100 gift card awarded by the SIFMA Foundation, in addition to the $750 cash prize. Emily’s awards now include a $200 gift card and $1,500 cash.
Emily’s victory continues a strong tradition of excellence at Schreiber High School. She is now the fifth student from Schreiber to place in the InvestWrite competition, joining previous winners who placed 5th and 6th nationally, and another who earned first place in New York State. Her achievement marks the school’s first national first-place finish and sets a new high bar for future financial scholars.
“I am so proud that Emily has made national recognition for her work at our school, and I think the fact that this is now our fifth student demonstrates that it’s the strength of the program,” said Schreiber principal Kathryn Behr.
Whether or not Emily has yet realized the full scope of her achievement, one thing is clear: in a world increasingly defined by financial complexity, she’s already making music, and it’s hitting all the right notes.
Families wanting to test their skills over the summer can play the Summer Stock Market game, https://stockmarketgame.org/.
