Winners named in ‘JA Banks In Action’ tilt

HAGATNA, Guam—Five teams comprising 20 students from George Washington High School in Mangilao devised a winning strategy and were selected as the Top Five of the first ever “JA Banks In Action” Guam Competition.

On May 2, Citi and Junior Achievement Guam held the JA Banks In Action Awards ceremony at the University of Guam’s Student Services Center. A total of 169 George Washington High School students from Applied Math, Consumer Math and Government classes participated in this first JA Banks In Action program and competition.

George Washington High School teachers Joann Sudo-Blas and Vivian Killingbeck accepted the award on behalf of the school. The students were awarded certificates in recognition of their performance.

“Citi is delighted to join JA Worldwide and share our knowledge, experience and excitement about the banking industry with students around the world through JA Banks in Action. We hope young people will be inspired to pursue careers in the financial services industry as well as gain an understanding of how financial institutions help people manage their money and achieve their life goals,” said Madhu Seshadri, Country Business Manager/Corporate Country Officer, Citi Guam. “Congratulations to the Top Five teams. It would be great for Guam to be in the final round in New York. We wish you all the best.”

“Junior Achievement is grateful for the tremendous support of the Citi Foundation in making this program and competition possible. We also thank the Citi volunteers for their time and outstanding mentoring and guidance for the students in this program. We are excited that Guam is competing in the Virtual Elimination Round and we wish the best to all the teams,” said Mike Naholowaa, chairman of the board, Junior Achievement of Guam.

The Top Five teams will represent Guam in the Virtual Elimination Round of the North American Championship to be held on May 7, 2008. The Top Ten teams from the Virtual Elimination Round nationwide will compete face-to-face for the Top Three places at the Final Round in New York City on June 30 and July 1.

The first JA “Banks In Action” Guam program and competition was made possible through a $15,000 grant from the Citi Foundation, the global sponsor of JA Banks In Action.

JA Worldwide is the world’s largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA Worldwide provides in-school and after-school programs for students in grades K-12. JA Worldwide offers educational programs that focus on seven key content areas: business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy, and career development. Today, 140 individual area operations reach approximately four million students in the United States, with more than 3.5 million students served by operations in 114 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org. [B][I](Citi)[/I][/B]