NEW YORK, N.Y. – Working in Support of Education (w!se) announced its first annual Financial Literacy Ambassador Awardees on July 28, 2017. The award recipients are:

  • Jacob Carrick of Phillipsburg High School in New Jersey
  • Sara Hettinger of Centreville High School in Virginia
  • Tyler Humphreys of Woodbridge High School in Virginia
  • Brianna Sandy of Oscar Smith High School in Virginia
  • Jonah Wolmark of Village School of Great Neck in New York

Awardees were selected by a panel of 10 judges. To be eligible, students needed a perfect 100% on w!se’s national Financial Literacy Certification Test in the 2016-17 school year. Each applicant composed an essay which addressed the most important lessons learned from studying personal finance in high school and how those lessons will be applied to life.

 The award is made possible through the sponsorship of Financial Literacy Outreach (FLO) Mentors, a group of w!se volunteers who are passionate about helping young people improve their knowledge of personal finance.

Jonah Wolmark, one of the awardees, said: “I am deeply honored to be the recipient of this year’s award. The Financial Literacy Program was the most practical portion of my education to date. The knowledge I gained will guide me to make good financial decisions through all stages of my life. I will always remember to never spend more than my earning power. The scholarship will help with the cost of my higher education.”

“These extraordinary awardees deserve a round of applause for their perfect score on our Certification Test and stellar academic credentials,” said w!se President & CEO Phyllis F. Perillo. “In today’s world, it is essential that all high school students are prepared for successful financial lives and we commend those high schools who are providing their students with a gift of a lifetime.”


About the w!se Financial Literacy Certification Program

The Financial Literacy Certification program is an innovative and high impact initiative in financial education designed to help high school students graduate financially literate. Participating schools teach a course on personal finance and then administer w!se’s nationally standardized Financial Literacy Certification Test. To support instruction, w!se provides professional development, a curriculum aligned to national and state standards and other value added teaching tools. A hallmark program feature is the w!se CFL™. Students who pass the Certification Test become Certified Financially Literate (CFL™). The program, now in 46 states, is rapidly growing and has become integral to personal finance instruction in thousands of classrooms. It is supported by leading U.S. institutions including the Allstate Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Voya Foundation, Valley National Bank, Synchrony Bank, Capital One, Santander Bank, Investors Bank, New York City Council, The Malone Family Foundation, and The Raymond J. and Mary C. Reisert Foundation.

About w!se

Working In Support of Education (w!se), a national educational not-for-profit, improves the lives of young people through programs that develop financial literacy and readiness for college and careers.

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