After advancing through the first round of the National Personal Finance Competition, Williams seniors Scarlett Behm, Natalie Boissevain, Alex Leake, and Annabel McKillop competed in the Connecticut State Finals in Windsor, CT, where they earned an impressive fourth-place finish. Their team was one of just eight to qualify for the state-level event.
The National Personal Finance Competition challenges high school teams from across the country to demonstrate their understanding of real-world financial concepts. Each state administers a preliminary quiz to determine which teams advance to the State Finals, where students must present a case study and participate in a quiz bowl.
The centerpiece of the competition was the case study. This year, the team was tasked with designing a budget for a fictional individual who had accumulated nearly $30,000 in debt. The catch? The person earned just over $83,000 per year, and the team had to create a realistic plan that addressed both debt repayment and long-term goals—such as purchasing a car and a home. Once the plan was finalized, the students presented it to a panel of judges for evaluation.
Much of the team’s success stemmed from their preparation in their Finance and Economics course at Williams. “Thanks to Mrs. Keane, we had a deep understanding of the financial world,” Behm said. “While we were preparing for the competition and working on our case study, we understood what we were doing because of the lessons learned in this course throughout the year.”
Amy Keane, the students’ math teacher, was equally proud of their performance. “The four students worked very hard to prepare the financial plan for the scenario,” she said. “They did an amazing job presenting in front of the judges and a room full of people. They explained their reasoning and answered the judges questions easily and concisely.”
The competition not only reinforced the students’ financial knowledge but also gave them practical skills for the future. “We put in a lot of preparation, diving deep into real-world financial concepts, and it really paid off,” Boissevain said. “I’m proud of how our team worked together. I learned so much that will help me beyond the classroom.”
The Finance and Economics course, which covers a wide range of personal finance topics, is open to seniors at Williams. “The competition required a lot of preparation and effort, but it was incredibly rewarding,” McKillop added. “I’d definitely encourage others to take on the challenge.”
