Top Teachers
Saturday, March 14, 1998
Name: Lurline Choy
Age: 51
Position: Social science instructor, Sacred Hearts Academy
Education: Chaminade University
Pastimes: Reading, traveling
When the Dow fell a historic 554 points in less than an hour on Oct. 27 last year, the investment world crashed to an agonizing halt. Making economics come alive
For Lurline Choy's clients, the drop was bittersweet -- a painful loss in thought, but not deed. Choy's clientele -- students in her 12th grade economics class at Sacred Hearts Academy -- had made hefty investments. Imaginary investments, that is.
"She definitely makes it come alive for the students," said school Principal Betty White of Choy. "It's a real hands on approach ... to economics."
Students invest an imaginary $10,000 in any three stocks, observing their performance over one school semester. They record daily changes, read various business magazines and decide daily whether to buy, sell or hold.
And just like real investors, financial success is in the hands of the market.
Choy experienced the market's volatility long ago -- a bad investment that resulted in a big loss for her, but a gain for students by way of a richer curriculum. For the past four years, students have learned how to handle personal finances as well as play the stock market.
White described Choy as a dedicated, gifted role model, but Choy said it is the students who are inspiring. "I've been doing this for 29 years, and it's so enlightening," she said. "That's what teaching's all about. That's learning."
Kimberly K. Fu, Star-Bulletin
