Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rooted in Sacred Scripture and centered on the Eucharist, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School embraces the values of Education, Faith, and Citizenship.

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Lake Michigan Catholic Students to Get Hands-On Global Finance Experiences

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ST. JOSEPH, MI: Middle and high school students at Lake Michigan Catholic are poised to enter the exciting world of global trading and finance, thanks to a generous donation from LMC alumnus Sam Monte and his wife, Connie.

The Montes’ contribution is transforming the current media bay at LMC Middle/High School into a state-of-the-art Global Trading and Finance Lab, slated to welcome its first students in Fall 2020. Middle and high school students will be able to take a variety of business and finance classes in the lab, with a focus on realistic trading simulations using StockTrak software.

“In this day and age, the knowledge of how money transfers and works throughout the world is invaluable for students,” says Sam Monte. “We hope that LMC students develop a greater understanding of what their money means to them and how they are going to use it, both now and in the future.”

Features of the lab include a 12-foot LED stock ticker, which will display delayed data for U.S. stock market, sports scores and more; two 65” monitors with market reports and live-stream rankings from LMC’s personal trade simulation site; and 20 student work stations for hands-on learning.

“More than half of our students end up in a business-related field,” says James White, LMC Middle/High School principal. “The Global Trading and Finance Lab gives our students a platform to experience the international nature of business through realistic simulations, experiential learning and team collaboration.”

The Sam and Connie Global Trading and Finance Lab will be home to eight new business classes at LMC, including Financial Literacy, Introduction to Business, Global Trading, Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Economics, and Stocks and Bonds Trading. While coursework is designed for middle and high schoolers, students as young as fourth grade may benefit from age-appropriate budgeting and financial literacy instruction in the lab.

“We are very grateful for the generous, continued support of Sam and Connie,” says Nadia Bucholtz, Director of Advancement for the Lake Michigan Catholic School Fund. “They recognize the incredible potential of this project to change the lives of our students, and this is another substantial piece of the powerful legacy they are building at Lake Michigan Catholic.”

Sam and Connie met at Michigan State University. The couple has sent four children and five grandchildren through LMC, and have consistently supported the schools. In the 1980s, Connie was named Laker of the Year for her exceptional contributions to LMC.

Lake Michigan Catholic is a private pre-kindergarten through 12th grade Catholic school dedicated to nourishing the human spirit – mind, body and soul – though Jesus Christ.

	Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School Downtown Campus Grades 6th - 12th Grade 915 Pleasant Street St. Joseph, MI 49085 Phone: 269-983-2511 Fax: 269-983-0883		Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School South Campus Grades PS - 5th Grade 3165 Washington Avenue St. Joseph, MI 49085 Phone: 269-429-0227 Fax: 269-429-1461		"Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rooted in Sacred Scripture and centered on the Eucharist, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School embraces the values of Education, Faith and Citizenship.”
	Diocese of Kalamazoo Policy on Non-Discrimination The Schools of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the schools. The Schools of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of education policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school administered programs and activities, employment policies or contractual agreements.