Page 10 - MidJersey Business - September 2015

News Desk {Education}
HIGH-STAKES TESTING
Local students drilled on finance lessons
The inaugural Money$peak Competition was held at Rider University’s Bart Luedeke Cen- ter Theater in June. The event, presented by the Mercadien
Foundation and Rider, pitted teams from local high schools against each other in
a competition to see who absorbed their finance lessons the best.
The challenge: create a short, innovative presentation based on a specific topic area from your high school personal finance course and present to a panel of judges from the finance community. Teams of
two to four students used the information learned in the classroom to create presen- tations that included everything from Pow- erPoint slides to animated videos to rap songs that creatively expressed personal finance lessons.
“The New Jersey Department of Educa- tion took a big step forward when they made a half-year course in personal finance a high school graduation requirement,” says Christopher Seiz, executive direc-
tor of the Mercadien Foundation. “With Money$peak, students must fully under- stand their topic area before presenting it. With greater, long-lasting understanding, we build a generation of young adults who
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take charge of their financial future and excel in their chosen fields.”
Hopewell Valley, Lawrence, Notting- ham, Steinert, and West Windsor Plains- boro North high schools all participated in the event.
Expert judges were invited from various areas of finance to assess teams on content, clarity, creativity, and performance.
The judging panel included Anthony Carabelli, Jr., business advocate, Mercer County Office of Economic Development and Sustainability; John Farrell, assistant dean, College of Business Administration, Rider University; Mary Halupa, director, Consumer Credit Counseling Service Program, Family Guidance Center of Mercer County; Patricia Hartpence, vice president of corporate giving, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group; and Gary Zimmaro Jr., vice president of commercial lending, TD Bank.
The event was supported by the Mer- cadien Group, Rider University, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group, First Choice Bank, Fulton Bank, Random Thought Studio, and Titan Technologies
Following presentations and scoring, trophies and awards were presented to the teams:
FIRST PLACE:
The Untraceables, presenting on identity theft, from West Windsor Plainsboro North High School, advised by teacher Albert Paulsson. Team members: Gleb Bourtsev, Brandon Kocher, Sam Lichten- stein, and Adam Srikantha. $1,500 team award, $1,000 school grant for personal finance education.
SECOND PLACE:
The LHS Protection Squad, presenting
on identity theft, from Lawrence High School, advised by teachers Jeana Saba- tini and Steven Keen. Team members: Nataliya Galyga, Katherine Monterosso, Jocelyn Recinos Orellana, and Robyn Seidman. $1,000 team award, $750 school grant for personal finance education.
THIRD PLACE:
The Credit Report Authority, presenting on credit reporting, from Nottingham High School, advised by teacher Michael Bendorf. Team members: Elise Du- senshine, Vincent Morency, and Betsy Velasquez. $500 team award, $500 school grant for personal finance education.
HONORABLE MENTION:
The Investmen, presenting on invest- ments, from Hopewell Valley Central High School, advised by teacher Suzanne Brown. Team members: Connor Fedor, Ja- son Engongoro, Grant Kaufman, and Tim Regan. $250 team award, $250 school grant for personal finance education.
The Steinert Spartans, presenting on inflation, from Steinert High School, advised by teachers Kyle Flanagan and Nick Hover. Team members: Anna Beste, Braden Colon-Holmes, and Sharbel Skaff. $250 team award, $250 school grant for personal finance education.
Presentations will be available on the Money$peak website, moneyspeak.org.