Head to Atlanta for Nationals June 1 -2
State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, UIC sponsored Illinois Personal F inance Challenge A team of students from Naperville Central High School is headed to the National Personal Finance Challenge in Atlanta on June 1-2 after winning a state competition sponsored by the University of Illinois Chicago’s Center for Economic Education and Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ Office.
Coached by social st udies teacher C. David Ashton, Naperville Central students Rohan Jha, Rohan Jain, Audrey Cheng and Michael Antipov emerged victorious i n a contest that provided students w ith an opportunity to build, a pply, and demonstrate t heir knowledge i n areas l ike earning income, s pending, s aving, managing credit, i nvesting, a nd managing risk.
“The skills I’ve gained an d the lessons I’ve learned will serve me life long, along with so me lasting memories of the fun I had along the w ay preparing and c ompeting with my teammates,” said Jha, w ho took part in th e competition for three years.
Jain said he learned sk ills that he c an use i n the future.
“In an age w here transactions ha ve become instant, i t is more important t han ever t o learn how to properly manage your f inances,” Jain sai d. “The Illinois Pe rsonal Finance C hallenge gives a w indow of opportunity to learn applicable l ifelong knowledge.” Teams competed through an online e xam in fall 2024 and spring 2025. Top-scoring teams then took part in a virtual c ase study for t he Illinois state finals.
This year, 635 students pa rticipated in team s across the state. College Preparatory School of America i n Lombard wo n second place and I llinois Mathematics and S cience Academy i n Aurora won t hird place. Other semi-finalists i ncluded Collinsville H igh School, Lincoln Community High School, a nd Southwestern High School i n Piasa.
The competition is held each year, and students from this year’s winning team highly recommend it.
“I'm happy I'm able to walk away from the competitions with new skills and knowledge,” Cheng said. “You and your team walk away with valuable life skills that will benefit you for a lifetime.” Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs advocates for the importance of financial literacy at every age. Illinois residents have access to free resources on topics like saving for an emergency, retirement planning, planning for a child’s education, managing debt, buying a home and estate planning at the FinWell Hub website.
“I am a strong believer in giving people the tools so they can invest in themselves,” Frerichs said. “We wish the team from Naperville Central the best of luck in Atlanta.” About the Illinois Treasurer The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is a powerful economic engine that invests in people to drive prosperity, development and growth throughout the state. As State Treasurer, Michael Frerichs (FRAIR'iks) is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer and actively manages approximately $60 billion. The investments help families pay for college and trade school; workers save for a dignified retirement; and local governments process bill payments more efficiently so they can pass along the savings to taxpayers. The office provides financial institutions money to loan to farmers, small business owners, and qualified individuals at below-market rates because better jobs create stronger communities.
The office operates the state’s largest consumer-protection initiative, the unclaimed property I-Cash program, which has returned a record-breaking $2.2 billion since Frerichs was elected.
For more news about the State Treasurer’s Office, please follow Treasurer Frerichs on Instagram at ILTreasurer, LinkedIn and Facebook at Invested in You – Treasurer Michael Frerichs. You can find our weekly newsletter here.
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