18 | BALANCE OF EXCELLENCE
hen hobbies come to mind, perhaps one finds himself imagining America’s pastime, baseball, or playing cards. Yet an unexpected and unique hobby is one that Sam Medeiros does habitually, Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. – stock market trading. Nearly two years ago, Medeiros began investing in the stock market with a little start-up money from his parents. “[I was] making decisions based on stimulus that I saw out on the market and [trading] is really interesting to me. It’s really addicting for me because it’s so fun to make money.” Medeiros continued, “That’s my quote of the day – ‘It’s just so fun to make money.’” Certainly, his quote resonates with any cash-strapped high schooler trying to make their own way in the world.
W
Medeiros, president of the Business Club, used the club as a platform to share his wisdom and experience with other students wishing to invest. “I wanted to interest the underclassmen in business because it’s really one of my passions and I talked about the basics of business. We talked about interest rates and things that influence the economy.” The club also used Investr, a program that Medeiros described as the “fantasy-league” of stock market trading where students trade stock with fictional funds.
SAM MEDEIROS
Next year, he will be studying Business Administration at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “I’ve always had a real fascination with investing, and I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in finance.” Medeiros continued, “I wanted to stay in the world of, I guess, money.” His final advice for any attempting to gain their footing in the tumultuous waters of investing is to know in what you are investing. “Put your money in something that you know exactly what the company does, or don’t invest in anything,” Medeiros said.
HOB ll her life Maddie Barnes has dreamed of riding horses, but it wasn’t till a gymnastics injury that she finally got the chance in eighth grade. “And so my mom finally started to let me ride horses because I didn’t want to do gymnastics anymore after getting hurt,” Barnes said. “My first lesson was on this little pony named Zorro and I just fell in love with it right then.” Since then, Barnes has spent every day of the last three years at the Chastain Horse Park riding her horse, Duette, who passed away on February 18th. “I would be at the barn for anywhere between two to four hours everyday,” Barnes said. Duette was with Barnes through the beginner baby hunters to winning meter jumps and more. Barnes is part of a competitive show team at Chastain, traveling to shows in North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina. Barnes’ favorite memory is her first time showing at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina. “I was competing against some really well-known equestrians, like equestrians where if you hear their name you’ll recognize them,” Barnes said. Duette and Barnes placed 6th and won $60. She has been a part of the Holy Innocents’ Equestrian Team in five out of the seven years Barnes has been at HIES. Next fall, Barnes plans to attend Eckerd College in St. Petersberg, Florida and hopes to continue riding.
A
MADDIE BARNES
