Student testimonials on the 2012 Euro Challenge competition

FPW MARINE & OCEANOGRAPHIC ACADEMY

Dennis Dawson

FPW Marine & Oceanographic Academy
Coach of FPW Marine and Oceanographic team

The Euro Challenge has become an extremely valuable tool in my AP Human Geography classroom. Students are applying geographic concepts as they are learning economic principles to understand a present day, real-world situation. Our school team was selected from volunteers following our classwork assignments. The team devoted 45+ hours to researching, developing, and practicing their presentations. The challenge this year was that the Euro issues were changing on a daily basis, with our chosen country Greece right in the middle of the confusion. We learned about macroeconomic economics along with the differences and applications of monetary and fiscal policies. My students also gained greater sophistication in decoding and understanding how the political process drives most economic decisions. As we continued to research, I could see their confidence and ability to articulate questions raise.

The Miami-Florida European Union Center for Excellence, AKA Christine I. Caly-Sanchez, and the Euro Challenge/WISE group did a fantastic job of taking care of the details so that our team could focus on the challenge. All of my team members felt appreciated for their scholarly skills. Bringing the team of 9th graders to New York is always an interesting experience. Fortunately through our team building preparations, we were all able to enjoy Manhattan and Brooklyn. The accommodations were very nice and the entire staff was very attentive to any questions or need for assistance. We all were made to feel that our work is important, even to the European Union Ambassador to the United States. I will continue providing this exciting educational opportunity to my students.

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Rhyan Grant

FPW Marine & Oceanographic Academy
Grade 9

The Euro Challenge was a phenomenal experience reflecting on economics and finances in the euro area. Being able to meet students from all across the United States made it interesting. Over the past years as a student participating in Scripps and Florida competitions I am able to develop an understanding in various academic areas. As a ninth grader hearing about the competition in the beginning of the year made me feel enthusiastic. As soon as possible I started studying and researching newspaper articles right away. Public speaking is my passion so to have the opportunity to compete at regional/state is wonderful. We were able to get a tour at the Federal Reserve Bank in Miami and explore the money transactions. That same afternoon we didn’t get any results from the Florida International University about our presentation. When our coach finally reached the city of Port St. Lucie everyone was picked up by a parent or guardian then during the evenly that same day my phone rang. The news came in saying that I and my team members are going to the National Euro Challenge in New York City sponsored by the Moody’s Foundation. That was truly amazing because the next day, my coach was optimistic. The week of the nationals was intense; only 5 schools could make it to the national finals. The questions that were asked by the judges stunned most of my teammates, some were actually nervous.

As a competitor it was important to maintain composure alongside with sportsmanship towards other students and officials. The best part in New York was meeting the Houston, Texas champions. They were really nice, intelligent, and humorous throughout the day. Talking to this tenth grader from Miami Palmetto High School was even better. The Euro Challenge competition will definitely look impressive on my college applications in the future. This is certainly not going to be my last time competing in local/national competitions. Most of all I thank god and my parents for supporting me in everything that is positive and sensible. Economics is very important in our daily life; it will be even more magnificent if students in all areas of the United States can get involved depending on their interest.

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Zachary Taylor

FPW Marine & Oceanographic Academy
Grade 9

My experience in Euro Challenge was very interesting. I learned an extreme amount of knowledge about the European Union and economics. What I learned help me be more aware of what goes on in the world and how to interpret it through the eyes of a professional economist. Before Euro Challenge my knowledge of the Euro Area and its processes were almost zero. Afterward I could distinguish all the Euro Area and Euro Zone countries and specific statistics about them. Other than the informational side of my experience, my time at the Federal Reserve in Miami and in New York was a great journey. It was a wonderful time in both locations, whether it was enjoying the sites, or the slightly exotic new foods, I loved every minute of it. I will definitely consider doing this again next year.

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MIAMI PALMETTO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Yujia Zhou

Miami Palmetto Senior High School
Grade 10

Before Euro Challenge, neither I nor my peers who accompanied me in this competition were deeply involved in economics. Most of us had little to no background in the Eurozone and European Union, and were ignorant of the important events in Europe. Euro Challenge was very well organized and has provided us with a background and interest in economics, as well as a valuable experience in the New York semi-finals.

Entering the competition requires dedication, teamwork, in-depth research, and clever problem-solving that exceeds typical presentations in school. It needed us to analyze databases provided by the European Union, organize a coherent presentation, and speak confidently to knowledgeable judges. I had none of these before entering Euro Challenge, but with the help and support of Mr. Corradino and my team, I was able to become a contributive teammate and even to some extent, a leader.

The effort involved in Euro Challenge rewarded our team with victory in the regional competitions, and allowed us to enter the Semi-finals and travel to New York. Even though we were unable to make it into the Finals, our experience there was amazing and allowed us to bond with both our teammates and competitors in the economic center of the world. Once Euro Challenge ended, it remained as one of the best parts of my life, and has certainly shown me a new international view on the world we live in.

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CORAL GABLES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Francesco Sautto

Coral GablesSenior High School
Grade 10

Truly it was a great experience to be able to participate in this Euro Challenge competition. Through it, I am not able to fully comprehend the extent of the problems that the Euro Area is facing. Without this experience, I would have probably been left to ponder why my mother took away all of my lovely Italian Lira and instead switched it to the Euro currency we know today. Participating in the competition also gave me the opportunity to meet new people I otherwise would never have known and to finally see New York in person. The experienced was added in enjoyment when I was able to meet and present our group's findings towards prominent political, economical and social figures such as former and current German diplomats and ambassadors, delegates from around the Euro Area, and even the head of the delegation of the European Union to the United States. If I could relive it, I would take the chance in a heart beat. I will definitely recommend this competition for all students who come after me.