Dallas College Students Take on Global $1 Million Stock Trading Challenge

More than 250 students are gaining hands-on investment experience as Dallas College expands its role in preparing the next generation of financial professionals for North Texas’ growing financial industry.

As North Texas continues to establish itself as a major financial hub, Dallas College is giving students an opportunity to experience the fast-paced world of investing through an international stock trading competition.

The college has entered 64 teams in the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge, a worldwide competition in which students manage virtual investment portfolios valued at $1 million, making decisions based on actual market conditions.

The initiative, known locally as the Texas Ticker, is part of Dallas College’s broader Y’all Street Market Experience, an educational program designed to connect students with the region’s expanding financial services industry and the emerging Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE).

With 253 students participating, Dallas College is using the competition to introduce students to investment strategies, financial decision-making and professional trading technology.

“Students get hands-on practice making stock trades on equipment used by finance professionals,” said Kevin Wortley, associate deputy chancellor at Dallas College, who oversees the institution’s Small Business Launch Pad. “This experience translates into career-ready skills that position participants ahead of their peers when they enter the workforce.”

The competition takes place entirely on Bloomberg Terminals, professional financial technology platforms used by investors, analysts and financial institutions around the world. Dallas College currently operates 32 terminals across five campuses and a community-based workforce center.

Through the terminals, students monitor financial markets, evaluate investment opportunities and make trading decisions as they compete to achieve the strongest portfolio performance.

The experience comes as North Texas strengthens its position as one of the nation’s leading financial centers. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the region has the second-largest concentration of financial sector jobs among U.S. metropolitan areas, behind only New York City.

The emergence of the Texas Stock Exchange has further fueled interest in the region’s financial industry, contributing to Dallas’ growing reputation as “Y’all Street.”

“As North Texas continues to grow as a financial center, the demand for professionals who understand financial markets continues to increase,” said Dr. Darryl Williams, vice provost of Dallas College’s School of Business, Hospitality and Global Trade. “Experiences like the Global Trading Challenge help prepare our students to meet this demand.”

Beyond preparing students for careers in finance, college officials see the program as an opportunity to address a broader challenge: financial literacy.

Texas ranks 41st among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in WalletHub’s WalletLiteracy Survey, which evaluates consumers’ understanding of everyday financial management. State lawmakers have also moved to strengthen financial education, requiring Texas high school students beginning with the graduating class of 2030 to complete a semester-long financial literacy course.

For Dallas College, introducing students to investing early is about more than preparing them for Wall Street careers. It is also about helping them understand how to manage their own financial futures.

“A lot of students I talk with are intimidated by the word investing,” said Eugene Kuan, senior manager of the Bloomberg program at Dallas College. “Whatever your major, you’re going to earn a paycheck one day, and you’ll want to know how to manage and invest it. The earlier you start, the more time your money has to grow. As a community college, we are in a unique position to teach those skills.”

Kuan brings both professional and personal experience to the initiative. Before joining Dallas College, he practiced banking and finance law in Southeast Asia. He also participated in the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge as a student in 2024, when Dallas College entered just two teams.

This year, the college has expanded its participation to 64 teams, the maximum permitted under its Bloomberg Terminal allocation.

“I had a lot of fun with my teammates, figuring out who took on which role and talking through our ideas,” Kuan said, recalling his experience in the competition. “I hope this year’s students get that experience, too.”

Of the 64 teams competing this year, 47 represent Dallas College campuses, while another 17 include dual-credit students from Dallas and Garland independent school districts. Each team consists of three to five students and an advisor.

Participants completed onboarding sessions in early October before the competition began Oct. 12. Trading will continue through Nov. 13, with winners scheduled to be announced Nov. 20.

Dallas College will recognize its top-performing teams during a celebration from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, at the Bill J. Priest Center. College officials are also expected to sign the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship Pledge during the event.

The college’s Bloomberg Finance and Investment Labs are located at Richland, Mountain View, El Centro, North Lake and Eastfield campuses. Additional access is available through the Dallas College Venture Club coworking space at the Bill J. Priest Center.

The competition represents one component of Dallas College’s larger effort to connect classroom instruction with workforce development and economic opportunity. Through initiatives such as the Small Business Launch Pad, the institution provides entrepreneurship training, business advising and professional development opportunities for students and community members.

As Dallas continues attracting financial institutions and investment activity, programs like the Texas Ticker could help create a pipeline of locally trained talent while giving students valuable exposure to an industry that has traditionally required specialized education and professional connections.

For participating students, the immediate objective is to build the strongest virtual investment portfolio. The longer-term opportunity is to develop financial knowledge and professional skills that can serve them well beyond the competition.

For more information about the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge or Dallas College’s financial education initiatives, contact NewsTeam@DallasCollege.edu.

Editorial note: This version is adapted from Dallas College’s announcement into a news-style article, with the promotional language reduced and the emphasis placed on student opportunity, workforce development and financial literacy. Quotes and reported figures have been retained from the supplied material and have not been independently verified.