Wednesday, Jun 22, 2016
Competition presented by the Mercadien Foundation and Rider University
The expanded second year of the Money$peak Competition, presented by the Mercadien Foundation and Rider University, with participating teams from Bordentown, Hillsborough, Hopewell Valley, Lawrence, Steinert and West Windsor-Plainsboro North high schools, kicked off to a crowd of supporters on Wednesday, June 1, 2016. To get to the finals, teams first competed in their district high schools before making their way to the Regional Money$peak Competition. In total, nearly 60 teams representing over 200 students competed this spring to get to the six final teams at the Regional Competition at Rider University.
The Mercadien Group, Rider University, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group, TD Charitable Foundation, PSEG Foundation, Fulton Bank, and Random Thought Studio made this experience for central New Jersey high school students possible through their support.
The challenge: Create a short, innovative presentation on a specific personal finance topic from your high school personal finance course and present to a panel of high-profile judges from the finance profession. Teams of two- to- four students used the important information learned in the classroom to create presentations ranging from animated videos to skits and songs to creatively express their personal finance lessons to judges and audience members on stage at Rider University’s Bart Luedeke Center Theater.
“By making a half-year course in personal finance a high school graduation requirement for students graduating after 2013, the New Jersey Department of Education took a big step forward. From this starting point, the Mercadien Foundation seeks to sustain students’ forward momentum to insure every student has a solid understanding of the basics of personal finance when they leave high school and enter their next stage of life. With Money$peak, students must understand their topic area before presenting it. With greater, long-lasting understanding, we’re helping to build a generation of young adults who take charge of their financial future and excel in their chosen fields,” says Christopher Seiz, Executive Director of the Mercadien Foundation.
Expert judges assessed teams on content, clarity, creativity, and performance. The judging panel included professionals from the financial field, including Anthony Carabelli, Jr., Business Advocate, Mercer County Office of Economic Development and Sustainability; Conrad Druker, Managing Director, the Mercadien Group; Tina Middleton, Vice President, Fulton Bank of New Jersey; Patricia Hartpence, Assistant Vice President of Corporate Giving, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group; and Joe Tredinnick, Regional Vice President, TD Bank.
Following presentations and scoring, trophies and awards were presented to the top five teams:
First Place: “#Nachoidentity,” presenting on identity theft, from Hopewell Valley Central High School, advised by teacher Suzanne Brown. Team members: Vicki Xie and Catherine Zhang. $1,500 team award, $1,000 school grant for personal finance education.
Second Place: “Bordentown FBLA,” presenting on insurance, from Bordentown Regional High School, advised by teacher Kara Lynch. Team members: Haasya Kanamarlapudi, Julia Mollin, and Ashling Wahner. $1,000 team award, $750 school grant for personal finance education.
Third Place: “The Spartans,” presenting on fraud, from Steinert High School, advised by teachers Kyle Flanagan and Nick Hover. Team members: Stefano Antanellos, Pat Carr, Jeremy Conover, and Jay Shaw. $500 team award, $500 school grant for personal finance education.
Honorable Mention: “Left for Theft,” presenting on identity theft, from West Windsor Plainsboro High School North, advised by teacher Albert Paulsson. Team members: Dan Grueneberg, Humayd Humayun, Usamah Kazi, and Shivam Raval. $250 team award, $250 school grant for personal finance education.
Honorable Mention: “Team Tri-15,” presenting on identity theft, from Hillsborough High School, advised by teachers Kim Losch. Team members: Allison O'Neill, Jenna Pudimott, and Amy Suraci. $250 team award, $250 school grant for personal finance education.
Suzanne Brown '09, '15, who received her Masters of Arts in Teaching, Business Teacher Education certificate, and Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences with with a concentration in Business Concentration from Rider and is now a teacher at Hopewell Valley Central High School, says, “Mercadien Foundation and the amazing sponsors have created an impressive event with the Money$peak program that allows students to apply the knowledge they've acquired throughout the year. It's special because it requires them to engage at a higher level to create powerful messages about personal finance issues to present to others.
Money$peak is the perfect opportunity to encourage students to come out of their comfort zones to master "life skills" such as time management, doing thorough research, being concise, knowing your target audience, maintaining confidence, and hone critical presentation skills. I couldn't be more proud of Catherine and Vicki's efforts displayed onstage tonight! Winning First Place drove home the point that what they did here accomplished the goals of the foundation and the sponsors too. Money$peak is a win-win for everyone involved."
Within the next few weeks, student presentations will be available on the Money$peak website for use by educators as they teach these areas of personal finance, bridging the gaps in financial education and creating a central clearinghouse for education material distribution.