Senior Blake Morris was first introduced to stocks at the age of 6, after visiting  Disney World, in Florida. His dad stunned him with the news that they owned part, that they were stockholders. 

“Being a little kid, I was very happy and dumbfounded by that, so I asked him lots of questions,” Morris said. “In short, he told me that I owned Disney’s stock, so I owned a little piece of the park. My interest really took off from there!

Fast forward 12 years, and Morris is now an actual stock trader himself.

Morris views himself as a very competitive person who does not like to lose. He said he thinks of trading as a game he has to win. Trading stocks gives him the chance to make money while doing something that gives him financial freedom, and the time to do what he enjoys. 

“My favorite part about trading stocks is the challenge that it presents in every trade I make,” Morris said. 

The challenge of doing stocks, he explained, involves the technical analysis process of trying to find good trades that will benefit you and the outcome of the trade, as well as the psychological part, which is actually making the trade itself. 

Morris said another big challenge is having to realize that everyone, not just people starting out, are going to have unsuccessful days throughout their journeys.

There are a lot of different ways to explain how stocks work, but Morris describes it as companies raising funds for themselves by providing shares for people to buy. After buying them, you own part of the company, mainly some assets plus earnings. 

“For how I trade, I am a scalper mainly, so I am buying and selling stocks within a few minutes or sometimes even seconds,” he explained. “I also trade options, but that is a whole other world!”

Morris is impacted from day to day because of his traders. He is mentally tested on the daily, he said, which pushes him to the edge. He also has to make time for his charting in the morning. The stock market starts at 9:30 a.m., so when he does not have school, Morris gets up at 7:30 to find out his trades for the day.

Years of enthusiasm and interest in the stock market have led to Morris wanting to make a career out of it. “Being 18, my risk-to-reward ratio for trying to trade full time is definitely one I am more than comfortable taking,” he said. 

Though 99% of traders fail, because the career choice is just so complex, it can be rewarding to gain financial freedom quickly while young, Morris added.

But Morris did not get to where he was now all by himself. His family and friends have been there right by his side supporting his decisions until he reaches his goal. He also gets advice from other places like ™Twitter, and likes to throw some ideas at his friend, junior Bobvi Thomas, who is also well educated in the stock market.

For more information on stock trading, check out this cheat sheet.