Cheerleaders cheered and the band struck up a tune as parents of honor roll students and guest U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-1st Ga., entered Lewis Frasier Middle School Friday morning.
The lawmaker met with honor roll students and Stock Market Game Capitol Hill Challenge participants during the school’s Third Nine Weeks Honor Roll Breakfast.
Carter congratulated honor roll recipients, and told them they will continue to succeed with the support of caring parents and dedicated teachers.
The congressman handed out certificates to honor roll students and to LFMS students who placed in the annual Georgia Southern University Mathematics Competition, the Georgia Media Festival and the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. He also helped school administrators hand out prizes during a drawing. Lucky students took home gift cards and some high-tech gadgets.
Following the awards, Carter 
met with students who participated in the Stock Market Challenge.
“You’re going to grow up and be job creators,” Carter told them. “You guys are the future of our country. You’ll be serving in Congress; you’ll be serving on city council; you’ll be on the school board.”
The LFMS stock market team was one of 17 Carter sponsored in the national financial education competition. The 14-week program teaches middle and high school students about saving, investing and government.
“Each team is given $100,000 of hypothetical money to invest,” explained LFMS math teacher Carol Corwin, a 33-year teacher who facilitated the challenge at LFMS.
“I still like what I do,” Corwin said. “I still feel that I can make a difference.”
Carter said the stock market game teaches students fiscal responsibility.
“It [the economy] is a very complex system now,” he said, adding that many American adults struggle to understand their mortgages, and life and health insurance.
Carter said he was “super impressed” with LFMS students’ level of fiscal understanding.
“We [Congress] have got to do a much better job,” he said, referring to lawmakers tackling the federal government’s $21.5 trillion debt. Carter said elected officials are working to strengthen the economy in hopes of cutting the national debt.
“The stock market right now is at record levels,” he said.
When asked why he sponsored LFMS students in the challenge, Carter said he was concerned about college students graduating with large student debts. He said he hopes students who learn how to handle their finances now can avoid the debt later.
Students said they participated in the challenge so they can grow up to be financially stable.
“I love math, I love numbers,” said Patrick Underwood III, LFMS National Junior Honor Society president. “We need to prepare for the future.”
“It [challenge] teaches us about money and how to spend it,” eighth grader Hannah Maldonado’ Matos said. “It is a major part of life.”
“After I get out of college I want to have a great life,” eighth grader Trinity Smiley said.
She said she wants to invest her earnings someday so she can assist her family. She thanked Carter for supporting the school’s team.