Three teams of high school students from Howard County vied for top honors June 4 and 5 in New York in the finals of two prestigious competitions: the National Personal Finance Challenge and the National Economics Challenge.
National Personal Finance Challenge: Students from the Application and Research Laboratory school in Ellicott City were first runner-up in the competition that showcased their knowledge of money management, including expertise in earning income, buying goods and services, saving, using credit, investing, as well as protecting and insuring.
In the competition hosted by the Maryland Council on Economic Education, the team beat out nearly 100 other teams to be statewide champions - a significant increase in statewide participation from just 22 teams last year. The team went on to compete with winning teams from 4 other states in New York.
The students on the winning team were Nathaniel Sager, Noah Hoffman, Juniors: Anuj Alamasety and David Liu. Their advisor and coach was Dr. Maddie Halbach.
M&T Bank is the lead sponsor of the Maryland Personal Finance Challenge. Said Sherrice Davis:
VP and Community Reinvestment Officer for Baltimore, M&T Bank and a Board Member, Maryland Council on Economic Education, "At M&T Bank, we are committed to providing tools and through financial education, empowering our communities with knowledge to make forward-thinking choices in their daily lives. It’s our hope that every young person participating in the Personal Finance Challenge will better understand that achieving financial wellness is the foundation of a successful and stable future."
National Economics Challenge: Teams from Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City competed in the national finals in each of the two divisions after winning statewide competitions coordinated by the Maryland Council on Economic Education.
The team of Samuel Lieman, Saniya Mahate, John Michaels and Summit Sarkar placed second in the Adam Smith Division for advanced and returning competitors.
The team of Samidha Nageshwar, Hannah Seok, Yu Shin and Nandhu Manoj Pillai placed third in the David Ricardo Division for first-time Challenge competitors who have taken no more than one economics course.
The National Economics Challenge is the country’s only economics competition of its kind for high school students. It tests micro and macroeconomic principles as well as knowledge of the world economy.
All teams participating in the finals received an all-expense paid trip to New York for the competition, a trophy, banner, and a cash prize.
