Kentucky Young Investors
began with a simple idea: to educate and inspire the next generation by showing them the real power of investing, with a strong focus on practical financial literacy and long-term wealth development.
Financial literacy among today’s youth is limited, and the traditional ways students are introduced to money management are often outdated and uninspiring. Kentucky Young Investors takes a different approach—beginning with the end in mind. By teaching students about investing, compound interest, and portfolio management through hands-on experience, the program helps them see the real opportunities for wealth creation available through the financial markets.
Regardless of their future career paths, students who participate gain a foundational understanding of how to manage their own resources responsibly. The goal is to motivate them to continue learning, equipping them to avoid common financial pitfalls such as debt, overspending, and poor financial planning.
Built around three distinct pillars of curriculum.
Part 1 – General Investing Curriculum — This interactive curriculum guides students through the fundamentals of investing, from What's a Stock? all the way through Valuation and Portfolio Management. Each section includes a video tutorial, a teacher guide, and a weekly quiz that can be loaded directly into Kahoot!
Part 2 – Personal Finance Curriculum — This curriculum covers everything from basic budgeting and credit pitfalls to broader financial planning. Each course begins with an interactive video, followed by discussion questions and a teacher guide.
Part 3 – Money Management — Select schools may have the opportunity to manage real capital on behalf of BYI, giving students hands-on experience in equity research, stock selection, and portfolio management. A portion of the annual returns generated by school-managed funds will be returned to the school in the form of scholarships.
See our Curriculum HERE
Site Leaders
Julia Williams
West Jessamine
Julia Williams has taught at West Jessamine High School for 20 years and is currently the KYI sponsor for the school. She has completed two years using the KYI curriculum and is excited to help expand the program to other schools!
Bradley Scroggin
Frederick Douglass
Bradley Scroggin is a Business teacher at Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington, Kentucky. Before entering education, he spent 28 years in the transportation and logistics industry, bringing extensive real-world business experience into the classroom. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and an MBA from the University of Kentucky. Mr. Scroggin is passionate about preparing students for success in business, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and future careers.
Ryan Hackman
Lafayette
Ryan Hackman teaches Finance and Engineering courses at Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky. Previously, he spent a decade in Operations Management and Financial Analysis roles at Amazon, where he led large teams and supported budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and capital investment decisions. He also served seven years as a United States Navy Submarine Officer, developing a strong foundation in technical leadership, accountability, and decision-making under pressure. Mr. Hackman holds an MBA and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Kentucky. He launched the Introduction to Finance course at Lafayette and is excited to incorporate the Bluegrass Young Investors program into this advanced-level class.
Carlee Bustingorri
East Jessamine
Carlee Bustingorri is a Mathematics teacher at East Jessamine High School in Nicholasville, Kentucky. She is passionate about helping students build confidence in math through engaging, real-world learning experiences. Carlee is excited to incorporate the Bluegrass Young Investors curriculum into her classroom to help students develop strong financial literacy skills that will benefit them well beyond high school.
Travis Frith
East Jessamine
Travis Frith is a mathematics teacher entering his 13th year in education. He has spent the last three years teaching at East Jessamine High School, following previous roles at Lincoln County High School and Madison Southern High School. In addition to his teaching duties, Travis serves as the Head Girls' Basketball Coach at East Jessamine High School.
Travis is excited to bring this new curriculum to his students, helping them understand the importance of managing their money and investing early — while continuing to grow his own financial knowledge along the way.
Student Ambassadors
Carter Overtoom is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky majoring in Finance & Accounting. He is a student in the Lewis Honors Colege, a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity, VITA tax clinic as well as a Wall Street Scholar. Carter participated within the FBLA at his high school Frederick Douglas and has been insturmental in KYI expanding to his alma mater. Carter is an active personal investor and has interned within the UK endowment and a local investment advisory firm.
Stella Bower is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky majoring in Finance and Marketing with a minor in International Business. She is a student in the Lewis Honors College and has been selected as both a Global Scholar and a Wall Street Scholar. Stella is the 2025 KYI Stock Pitch Competition winner and is actively involved in the Finance Society and Women in Finance. She is passionate about investing, financial markets, and expanding her global perspective as she prepares for a career in finance.