Fifth grader wins essay contest against 20,000 - By Michelle Libby

Nicole Levine, a fifth grader at Jordan-Small Middle School is the State of Maine winner in the InvestWrite Competition with McGraw Hill Financial for the spring essay contest elementary division. Levine and her teacher Jack Fitch were recognized at the school on June 16^th. 

Levine is among 20,000 students nationwide who wrote an essay for the competition. 

The competition is part of the Stock Market Game and is judged by teachers and industry professionals.

Levine wrote about Facebook as a Long-term Investment. “The most important reason for my decision to choose Facebook is that I wanted to select one of the very best and most innovative companies that will lead the future for communicating over the World Wide Web,” she wrote. 

"Teaching students at a very young age the basics of finance and the stock market is essential to their broad education and to being well-informed investors later in life,” said Douglas L. Peterson, President and Chief Executive Officer of McGraw Hill Financial.  “As financial markets become more complex and more global, investors of all ages can benefit from learning how to save, spend and earn money wisely—what we call ‘financial essentials.’ We are delighted to support the SIFMA Foundation and congratulate Nicole on this achievement.”

Levine enjoys playing the piano and recently started violin lessons. She has also participated in basketball and softball for many years and dances competitively in ballet.