During a trip to Fayette and Howard County on Friday, U.S. Representative Mark Alford (R-Raymore) stopped by to congratulate Fayette High School senior Aven Bange on his success in a simulated stock market game. 

Bange is the son of Chris and Emily Bange. He and classmate Zane Spaeder participated in the SIFMA’s Capitol Hill Challenge, a national competition testing students’ investing skills.

Spaeder, the son of Noah and Cassidy, was out sick and could not accept the certificate in person.

“Congratulations on behalf of myself and my office,” Rep. Alford said as he presented a certificate to Bange before Matt Douglass’s personal finance class. “Congratulations on taking an interest in finance and the economy. Financial literacy is so important, especially in this day and age when the dollar isn't going as far as it used to. We have a lot of economic uncertainty right now in America.”

Rep. Alford spoke to a handful of students and touted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, for which he is touring communities within his district. The cuts expire at the end of this year, and he is campaigning to extend the TCJA.

Bange said most of his success in the stock market game came from his investment in Nvidia stock.

“Aven and Zane are part of a team competing in the national event,” Mr. Douglass explained. Winners will move on to higher competition in Washington, DC.

Bange said he invested in what he thought would grow the most. 

“I watched trends over time and made choices I thought were best,” he said. “Buy the dips and sell the hills.”

Outside of the game, Bange is already an investor in real life, with assets in stocks and crypto.

“It’s definitely a good experience for students to help understand the stock market. How to trade and make money from things like this,” he said about the game.

Bange said it was an honor to receive the certificate from Congressman Alford.