The American Bankers Association Foundation today announced that Lela Ashley, a 16-year-old at George Rogers Clark High School in Lexington, Kentucky, achieved first place for her entry, “Lights, Camera, Save! Press Conference” and will receive a $5,000 prize. Other submissions that placed in the contest can be viewed on ABA’s Instagram page.
Lights, Camera, Save! is a national contest that encourages teens ages 13-18 to communicate the value of sound money management in a 30-second or less video. The free competition is one of ABA Foundation’s most popular financial education initiatives — this year 270 banks in 47 states, including Washington, D.C., participated.
Ashley’s video mimics a sports press conference while informing viewers that to be a “Financial MVP,” you need be prepared by having a budget and starting to save early. Ashley uses sports terminology to emphasize the importance of having automatic savings, tracking spending and keeping an eye on your credit score.
Ashley advanced to the national competition after winning the local contest at a Burke & Herbert Bank branch located in Winchester, Kentucky. This is the second year in a row that a contestant has won participating through Burke & Herbert Bank, with last year’s winner coming through its branch in Alexandria, Virginia, where the bank is headquartered.
“Burke & Herbert Bank has a long-standing commitment to financial literacy and the importance of developing smart money habits early,” Burke & Herbert Bank President Charlie Maddy said. “We are delighted to see Lela Ashley get recognized for using her financial know-how and creativity to encourage other teens to use money wisely.”
The other winners are:
- Second Place Winner — $2,500: Beware of Scams by Jonah Johnston (Warwick Area Career and Technical Center, Warwick, Rhode Island). Submitted through Centreville Bank (Warwick, Rhode Island)
- Third Place Winner — $1,000: Build Your Credit, Build Your Future by Wyland Hofer (Cambria Heights High School, Patton, Pennsylvania). Submitted through AmeriServ Financial (Johnston, Pennsylvania).
In addition to the national Lights, Camera, Save! contest, the ABA Foundation also honors a “Banker’s Choice” winner that was voted on by attendees at ABA’s Conference for Community Bankers in Phoenix last week. This year’s Bankers Choice winner was Jonah Johnston for his “Beware of Scams” video, submitted through Centreville Bank in Warwick, Rhode Island.
(Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correctly identify the second and third place winners in the contest.)
