Selah Love
Love is a junior seeking BS in marketing and BS in finance dual degrees with a minor in political science. Commenting on this recognition, she said, “I participated in this competition as part of an extra credit opportunity in my Principles of Investments course, but it quickly became more than just an assignment. It gave me valuable insight into how market trends, timing, and strategic decision-making can directly impact investment performance. I primarily used stocks that I was already familiar with through my personal Robinhood investment account, which helped me feel more confident in my choices while also encouraging me to think more critically about diversification and risk. Overall, the experience strengthened my understanding of real-world investing and showed me how classroom concepts apply in practice.”
Naomi Francisco
Francisco is a junior pursuing a BS in finance degree with a double major in economics/honors and a minor in applied statistics. Reflecting on her experience, Francisco said, “I initially chose to participate in the Stock Picker Challenge as an extra credit opportunity in my Principles of Investments course, but as I became more involved, it quickly turned into a genuinely engaging experience. Having previously participated in the Student Managed Investment Portfolio (SMIP) student organization, I was able to use the skills I developed there to help discern which stocks to select. The competition pushed me to think more critically about market trends, risk, and portfolio strategy, especially in a volatile market. Overall, this experience strengthened my confidence in analyzing investments and reinforced my interest in finance.”
College Leaderboard as of 4/15/2026
During the spring 2026 CFA Society Pittsburgh Collegiate Stock Picker Challenge, which ended on April 15, 140 students signed up as participants from Saint Vincent College, Duquesne University, Penn State Behrend, IUP, La Roche University, Penn State University, Penn State World Campus, PennWest–Edinboro, PennWest–Clarion, and PennWest–California.
IUP’s Selah Love and Naomi Francisco placed among the top 10 for individual student returns! Love had a return of 17.93 percent, and Naomi Francisco had a return of 18.63 percent. Top 10 finishers earned a $50 gift card.
The Stock Picker Challenge “gives students the opportunity to pick their own portfolio of stocks and compete against their fellow peers for the best total return.” This activity is designed to give a large group of students an opportunity to participate in a CFA event with minimal time commitment. IUP students were encouraged to participate by their finance instructors and advisors.
In the overall team standings, IUP placed fourth in terms of returns. The IUP team had an average return of 4.28 percent. CFA Society Pittsburgh congratulated the top-ranking teams, recognizing “It was certainly an eventful two-month period in the markets, with rising crude oil prices, multiple weeks of S&P 500 declines, and VIX (volatility) moving above 30. Environments like this reinforce how quickly market dynamics can change.”
More information about this event can be found on the CFA Society Pittsburgh website.