Houston high school heads to Washington for Fed Challenge competition

For immediate release: March 28, 2002

DALLAS— A five-student team from Houstonâ??s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts took top honors at the seventh annual Eleventh District Fed Challenge economics competition held Wednesday at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The team will compete in the national finals in May.

Fed Challenge is an academic competition sponsored by Federal Reserve Banks across the nation. The competition calls for high school students to undertake research, analyze economic data and present their findings to a panel of judges.

The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts competed against three other teams: Kaufman High School of Kaufman, Texas; Westlake High School, Austin; and Franklin High School, El Paso.

"Fed Challenge is the highest level academic competition in which a high school student can compete," said Wayne Hast, director of economic education at the Dallas Fed. "At the national level, it requires students to present information and answer questions in front of the actual individuals responsible for making economic policy decisions. It is equal to pleading a mock case before the Supreme Court."

Westlake High School took second place at the District finals. Each of the four participating high schools had advanced from regional competitions held in San Antonio, El Paso, Houston and Dallas.

The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts will represent the Dallas Fed in the national competition May 5-6 at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, D.C.

The team comprises seniors Iram Jaddik, Michael Bernell, Matt Mullenwig and Scott Schwitzberg and junior Julia Fox. Team coach is economics teacher Scott Roman.

A Texas public high school team has won the national championship four times in the competition six-year history.

Media contact:
James Hoard
Phone: (214) 922-5307
e-mail: james.hoard@dal.frb.org