SANFORD - A team from Central Carolina Community College finished No. 1 in the region in recent competition of the Stock Market Game.

The SIFMA (Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) Foundation is responsible for the program. Amber Thomas, CCCC Business Technologies Instructor, worked through the non-profit North Carolina Council on Economic Education, which administered the project.

Members of the winning CCCC team were Daniel Blackmon, Amy Godfrey, and Morgan Gunter, all of Sanford. The team received a scholarship award from First Bank.

The game allows students to manage and invest a portfolio of $100,000 virtual dollars. Their investments are linked to the actual stock market. There are certain rules they must follow regarding how purchases are made, but they have lots of freedom to be creative and formulate their own beliefs and ideas to invest their money. The CCCC team showed a 10.8 percent return with a total portfolio value of $110,126.83 during the competition.

The team's portfolio included Apple, International Business Machines Corp., Netflix, Amazon, Delta Natural Gas Company Inc., CBS Corporation Class B, General Electric Company, Bank of America, and American International Group.

The three participants said of their participation:

Daniel Blackmon: ""Playing the game was such a great learning experience. It helped to work with others using distance communication methods such as text, email, and phone. It was great looking at how to forecast and plan out when it was a good time to buy and sell. This will always be something I look back on and use the skills I learned in the game."

Amy Godfrey: "Playing the Stock Market Game was a learning experience for me. Stocks are not something that I could ever imagine having interest in. However, during the game, I was reading articles and checking on the group's progress in the game. It turned out to be quite interesting!"

Morgan Gunter: "When I first started the Stock Market Game, I actually did not know much of anything about stocks. The game and having teammates during the learning process made the experience much better."

"I like utilizing the Stock Market Game because it brings the facts and theories we teach to life. Students are more engaged, aware of current economic conditions, and are eager to learn about the market," said Thomas. "The game not only presents a great simulation, but it also provides a platform for class discussion and an ideal opportunity for collaboration in a team environment.

"The team environment is something I am passionate about, in both face-to-face and distance education courses, because I think it teaches them a key skill they will need in the workforce. After listening to countless students' feedback, most agree that once they have played the game they are more interested and curious about the market as well as the key role it plays or will play in their financial futures."

For more information on Central Carolina Community College, visit the website www.cccc.edu.