Teens From Pittsford Mendon H.S. Take State LifeSmarts Title

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2011 NYS LifeSmarts Champions - Pittsford Mendon High School

ALBANY, NY (04/06/2011)(readMedia)-- A group of consumer-savvy teens from Pittsford Mendon High School beat out nine other high school teams to capture the 2011 New York State LifeSmarts Championship last week in Schenectady, N.Y. The team successfully fielded questions about real-life marketplace issues at the statewide finals competition Their final match against the Smithtown High School West team went down to the wire, with the two teams tied throughout the match.

Special guest question master and retired WRBG-TV (CBS) news anchor Jack Aernecke said, "It was an exciting competition settled by the last question asked. I was very impressed with the broad knowledge base from all of the students involved."

Coordinated in New York State by the New York Credit Union Foundation, LifeSmarts is a fun and rewarding educational opportunity for students in grades 6-12. It expands the consumer knowledge and skills of students in the areas of personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities. LifeSmarts prepares teens to be responsible consumers in today's dynamic economy.

The top qualifying Varsity teams (grades 9-12) were invited to the in-person championship after successfully competing online against 62 registered teams. The final competition took place March 30 at Schenectady County Community College in Schenectady.

Pittsford Mendon teammates included: Stefan Styk (team captain), Allison Hallock, Steven Pan, Denver Rawlins and Kylie Ryan.

The team was coached by teacher Jody Pecor.

"Everyone at school was very proud that our team made the statewide finals. That they won the state title is like icing on the cake," said Jody Pecor, Pittsford Mendon High School teacher and team coach. "We have participated in LifeSmarts for a number of years and continue to find the program to be a great learning experience for students-one I would highly recommend."

As state champions, the Pittsford Mendon team will travel to Universal City, Calif., April 30 – May 3 to vie for the National LifeSmarts title. The Foundation covers the costs of the transportation and lodging for the students and their coach. To assist with additional expenses, the Foundation also presented the team with a $500 check.

Smithtown High School West placed second in the competition and Smithtown East High School's team placed third. The other seven teams finished in the following order: Cairo-Durham High School, Brentwood High School, Saranac Lake High School, Brentwood Freshman Center, Churchville-Chili High School, Irondequoit West High School and Oneida Herkimer Madison BOCES.

LifeSmarts is a national program run by the National Consumers League, Inc. and coordinated in New York State by the Foundation. The Foundation extends special thanks to major sponsor and host Schenectady County Community College.

"It was very rewarding to host the New York State LifeSmarts Championship at Schenectady County Community College," said Dr. Quintin Bullock, SCCC President. "The young learners who came to our campus showed tremendous knowledge and savvy during the contest, and they show great promise as future college students and leaders for tomorrow."

The New York Credit Union Foundation serves credit unions, schools and community organizations that help improve the financial literacy and independence of New Yorkers and promote the credit union difference. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.nycuf.org.

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Photo Caption: Diane LaVigna-Wixted, executive director of the New York Credit Union Foundation (left) and featured quiz master for the final rounds, former WRGB-TV anchor Jack Aernecke, present the members of Pittsford Mendon High School's LifeSmarts team with their first place trophy. (students, l-r): Kylie Ryan, Denver Rawlins, Allison Hallock, Team Captain Stefan Styk and Steven Pan.