Dallas College is putting North Texas’ future finance professionals to work. The school entered 64 student teams—its maximum capacity—into the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge, a worldwide competition that simulates managing a $1 million virtual portfolio.
Y’all Street market experience
The contest is the centerpiece of the college’s newly branded “Y’all Street” market experience, a broader effort to connect students, industry partners and the community to real‑world market activity. Through applied learning, professional tools, workshops and seminars, the program aims to give students a low‑pressure, high‑impact introduction to financial markets.
All trading takes place on Bloomberg Terminals. Dallas College operates 32 terminals across its five campuses and a community‑based workforce center, allowing participants to respond to real‑time market conditions, track performance and make investment decisions just as professionals do.
Leadership backs the initiative
“Students get hands‑on practice making stock trades on equipment used by finance professionals,” said Associate Deputy Chancellor Kevin Wortley, who oversees the college’s Small Business Launch Pad. He added that the experience translates into career‑ready skills that give participants an edge when they enter the workforce.
North Texas ranks second among U.S. metro areas for finance jobs, trailing only New York City, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Dallas College sees its Y’all Street program as a way to train local workers for those high‑paying positions.
“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 the School of Business, Hospitality and Global Trade. “Experiences like the Global Trading Challenge help prepare our students to meet this demand.”
Addressing financial‑literacy gaps
Texas currently ranks 41st out of 51 jurisdictions in WalletHub’s WalletLiteracy Survey, which measures everyday money‑management knowledge. In response, the state passed a law requiring a one‑semester personal‑finance course for high‑school students beginning with the class of 2030.
“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’ll 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.”
Kuan, who practiced banking and finance law in Southeast Asia before joining Dallas College, competed in the Bloomberg Challenge as a student in 2024 when the college fielded two teams. This year the school has filled every terminal slot, enrolling two teams per terminal.
Student experience and upcoming celebration
“I had a lot of fun with my teammates, figuring out who took on which role and talking through our ideas,” Kuan recalled of his 2024 participation. “I hope this year’s students get that experience, too.”
The competition runs from Oct. 12 to Nov. 13, with winners announced on Nov. 20. Dallas College will hold a celebration for its top‑performing teams from noon to 2 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the Bill J. Priest Center, and officials will sign the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship pledge.
Dallas College’s Bloomberg terminals are housed in its Finance and Investment Labs, the Venture Club coworking space, and other campus locations, providing students across the district with direct access to the tools used by industry professionals.
Original reporting: Branch Herald (Carrollton / Farmers Branch, local news) — read the source article.
