A Freeport High School Senior helped kick off trading Friday at the New York Stock Exchange.

As a student ambassador of Junior Achievement, Melissa Bell virtually rang the morning's opening bell.

Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization that teaches kids and teenagers the ability to take charge of their economic success and learn the basics of personal finance.

"In school, you're taught all these math formulas and people tell you, 'These are important.' Then you get into the real world, and you don't know how to file a tax return."

She received the news of the bell ringing Thursday morning.

Melissa came to the U.S. from Scotland five years ago and has been part of the organization for the last three years. She says she gets a lot of joy out of helping to teach kids lifelong skills.

"At that age, having that kind of conversation -- I would have killed for that," she said.