Westfield was one of 20 schools selected to participate in the semifinal round of the Federal Challenge according tonj.com, but unfortunately WHS’ Federal Challenge team fell short on April 10 and will not move on to the finals.
Mr. Hornish said, “This year’s team consisted of individuals who had previous experience in the Euro-Challenge (Erica Millwater and Will Crenshaw) and individuals who expressed an interest in economics early on: Jake Wasserman, Matt Micele, and Evan Garfinkle. The combination of past experience and interest created a strong sense of purpose and spirit among the individuals on this year’s team.”
From his experience in the Challenge, Garfinkel said he “learned to analyze the state of the US economy and how the Federal Reserve regulates the monetary system of the US.”
According to nj.com, the Fed Challenge high school competition is an educational program that aims to encourage students to learn more about the Federal Reserve System and to spur interest in economics and finance.
Wasserman said he is “confident [that the] Fed Challenge will help me during my career. I am more comfortable with public speaking and presenting. I’m happy I was able to get real world experiences through the club.”
Hornish said, “We were told that they had the 6th highest score in the semi-finals with only five going on to the final. Although we were disappointed in our falling short in the semi-final there were no regrets and I am very proud of their achievement.”