This past Friday, PA Chamber Director of Government Affairs Alex Halper joined Auditor General Tim DeFoor and others to recognize the winners of a statewide financial literacy competition for students entitled, “What Does Financial Literacy Mean to Me?” Malachi Wood, an eighth grader from Cambria County took first place, with Andrea Guiher of Adams County taking second and Danniel Mubbala of Dauphin County taking third.

The competition was launched last November with a press conference at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology where Halper offered remarks on the importance of financial literacy, along with General DeFoor, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Ryan Unger, President and CEO of the Harrisburg Chamber and CREDC, and Dr. Eric Darr, President of Harrisburg University.

The contest tasks students in Grades 7-12 from across Pennsylvania to submit a video, short essay or poem describing what financial literacy means to them. Judges, including Halper, scored submissions based on the participant’s knowledge of financial literacy, understanding of the prompt, creativity and writing quality.