Maryland's Mount Hebron High School Team Crowned CEE'S 2026 National Personal Finance Champions

The nation's top teen competitors tackled everything from stocks and bonds to credit management and budgeting

NEW YORK, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of four from Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, beat 36 teams from 32 other states to claim first prize as the nation's most financially savvy teenagers at the 15th annual National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC). The winners ultimately beat over 21,000 of their peers to claim first place.

Held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the competition was hosted by the Council for Economic Education (CEE), a national nonprofit equipping K-12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics.

Here's an example of just one of the questions the winning team tackled during the competition, one which many adults struggle to answer: To avoid negatively impacting your credit score, your credit utilization ratio should stay below what percentage of your total limit? These teens put their knowledge to the test, answering complex questions about saving, investing, stocks, bonds, retirement planning, managing credit, and more. After creating a financial plan for a fictional family, the top scorers competed in a quiz bowl, after which the winning team was crowned champion.

The winners of the 2026 National Personal Finance Challenge

• First place: Mount Hebron High School, Ellicott City, Maryland
  • Team: Vishva Rao, Daksh Mathapati, Pranav Boreddy, Jiwoo Jeong
  • Coach: Vann Walker Prime
• First runner-up: The Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, Delaware
  • Team: Andy Lee, Jason Lee, Ethan Xie, Rishabh Arora
  • Coach: Susan Beverly Clough
• Second runner-up: Francis Lewis High School, Bronx, New York
  • Team: Alyssa Mendez, Dave Lee, Kaity Zheng, Pei Chi Liu
  • Coach: Christopher Power
• Third runner-up: East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • Team: Liam Griffin, Jonah Jose Bayog, Toby Qin, Brandon Jia
  • Coach: Antonio Makasi

"This is more than just a competition," says CEE CEO Steve Bumbaugh. "At a time when financial literacy is more important than ever, these students are proving they're ready to take on the real world with knowledge, determination, and a solid foundation for success. We were thrilled to host these impressive students from across the country."

"It is a thrill to see these impressive students in action at the NPFC," said Braeden Mayrisch, Vice President, Impact & Culture and Vice President, Voya Foundation. "We are proud to partner on a program committed to advancing the next generation's financial literacy. Thank you to our employees who volunteered to help these remarkable young people on their journey toward greater financial confidence."

This year, over 21,000 high schoolers from across the country competed in the NPFC's highly accessible school-level round. Parents and educators nationwide are encouraged to visit the competition website in the fall so they may bring the competition to their schools next year.

Covering the six core knowledge areas of personal finance, students collaborated in teams to tackle real-world financial scenarios. Research has long documented the association between financial literacy and successful real-life financial decision-making, including planning for retirement, financial resilience, less debt, acceptance of federal student loans over higher-cost alternatives, and a decreased likelihood of carrying credit card balances.

The national final was held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta on June 1, 2026. Winning teams took away cash prizes: $2,000 per team member and coach for 1st place, $1,000 per team member and coach for 2nd place, $500 per team member and coach for 3rd place, and $250 per team member and coach for 4th place. Students, educators, and parents can visit www.councilforeconed.org for more information.

About the Council for Economic Education
The Council for Economic Education's (CEE's) mission is to equip K–12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities, and learn to successfully navigate in our ever-changing economy. We carry out our mission in three ways. We advocate to require financial and economic education in every state. We provide training, tools and resources – online and live through over 180 affiliates nationwide – to more than 40,000 teachers annually who in turn bring the highest quality economics and personal finance instruction to over 4 million students. We deepen knowledge and introduce high school students to critical career capabilities through our national competitions and Invest in Girls program.

About Voya Financial^®
Voya Financial, Inc. is a leading health, wealth and investment company with approximately 10,000 employees who are focused on achieving Voya's aspirational vision: "Clearing your path to financial confidence and a more fulfilling life." Through products, solutions and technologies, Voya helps its approximately 15.7 million individual, workplace and institutional clients become well planned, well invested and well protected. Benefitfocus, a Voya company and a leading benefits administration provider, extends the reach of Voya's workplace benefits and savings offerings by engaging directly with approximately 11.9 million employees in the U.S. Certified as a "Great Place to Work" by the Great Place to Work® Institute, Voya is purpose-driven and committed to conducting business in a way that is economically, ethically, socially and environmentally responsible. Voya has earned recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere; a member of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index; and a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" on the Disability Equality Index. For more information, visit voya.com.

Contact:
Katie Goulding Green, 347-463-4377
[email protected]

SOURCE Council for Economic Education