This spring, the inaugural President’s Investment Challenge was nearly as fast-paced as the U.S. financial market itself. In a competition unlike any UNLV has hosted before, 87 teams — made up of 227 students from across a variety of academic disciplines — managed a virtual investment portfolio in real-time market conditions.

The goal: to give every student the knowledge to invest wisely, manage confidently, and change the course of their financial future.

Students from public health, nursing, marketing, engineering, hospitality and even clinical psychology brought unique perspectives to the competition — proving that financial literacy isn’t just for business majors.

Daniel Chi, a professor and chair of the Department of Finance, helped devise the competition to address a startling statistic: Nearly half of U.S. adults lack the financial knowledge they need to manage their money with confidence, according to the World Economic Forum. 

His idea started simply: Give students the skills to take control of their money. But the impact, he hoped, would go much deeper.

“This is about helping students build skills that could change not only their lives, but their family trees,” Chi said. “This is about access, about giving students the chance to build wealth — not just for themselves, but for generations after them.”

Resilience in a Volatile Market: Top Teams Lead the Way

On April 28, the challenge culminated in a live pitch event judged by financial professionals. Students presented their strategies under pressure, responding to tough questions and shifting market conditions like seasoned analysts.

Rising to the top were:

• Third place – Arrowhead Investing: Justin Norfleet (MBA/MSE Civil Engineering) and Eric Johnson (MBA) delivered a technically sound approach that adapted well to changing market conditions.
• Second place – Rebel Traders: Jack Docev, Tyler Song, and Nessa Yip (Finance), along with Ethan Phui and Sumner Griffin (Finance & Marketing), brought a sharp sense of timing. Their strong research and clear communication helped them earn a 52% return.
• First place – STheory: Sehaj Singh (BS Finance) and Satwinder Singh (MBA), a father-son team that aimed high and delivered.

STheory’s Winning Formula

STheory started with a smart, disciplined approach by using a long/short trading strategy. The strategy involves betting on strong stocks they believed would rise while shorting weaker ones they expected to fall.

But, the team knew playing it safe wouldn’t be enough to win.

As markets shifted, they adjusted; by April, Sehaj and Satwinder made a strategic pivot. Confident the U.S. market was heading for a drop, they loaded up on put options tied to the S&P 500, an index tracking the biggest U.S. companies. Put options, simply put, let you profit when prices fall — like buying a pass that gains value as things go south. It was a bold move with big payoff potential.

“We held true to our convictions,” Sehaj said. “We wanted to hit a 10 to 15 percent gain, so we built a system that gave us more than one shot at it.”

In just eight weeks, STheory turned $500,000 into $1.2 million — a 145% return. While the S&P 500 fell nearly 12% over the same period, they made 98 well-timed trades.

Although Satwinder couldn’t attend the final event — he was in Washington, D.C., helping his wife (and Sehaj’s mother) relocate for her new assignment with the U.S. Air Force — Sehaj made sure the judges knew they were a true team.

“Teamwork was everything,” Sehaj said. “Each week, we looked at our best and worst trades and asked hard questions. My dad helped me stay focused, even when the market was all over the place.”

They ended their pitch with a quote that captured the stakes — and the spirit — of the challenge:

“The stock market is the most ruthless test an investor can face. It is the single greatest preservative of wealth, and the greatest destroyer, too. Inefficiencies are discovered in hours, traded on in minutes, and disappear in seconds. [STheory] not only seeks to challenge the market, but to outperform it.”

Sehaj also shared what the experience taught them.

“The idea of being dynamic means we’re not just picking good stocks; we’re also learning how to make smart moves when the market gets tough.”

Financial Wellness as a Lifelong Investment

UNLV Interim President Chris Heavey described the challenge as a tool for long-term growth.

“The President’s Investment Challenge is more than a competition — it’s a platform to empower students with the financial skills and confidence to shape their futures,” Heavey said.

“Financial literacy is a life skill,” Chi added. “It affects job choices, housing, education, and retirement. Understanding how money works helps people make informed decisions, avoid debt traps and create stability."

Missed the event or want to revisit the presentations? Watch the full recording.

Marlena Gatlin, assistant director of Graduate Student Services at Lee Business School, contributed to this article.