The winning Maryknoll team display their LifeSmarts trophy(Courtesy photo)
Maryknoll School is the first Hawaii school to win the LifeSmarts National Championship.
The Honolulu co-educational Catholic school beat 42 other teams at the April 27-30 competition in Cincinnati.
LifeSmarts is a 29-year-old consumer education program that says its goal is “to create consumer savvy young people who will be well equipped for adult life in today’s complex, global marketplace.”
The competition focused on consumer rights and responsibilities, the environment, health and safety, personal finance and technology.
After winning the state championship, Maryknoll’s team had to advance through preliminary, Sweet 16, semifinal and final rounds. Ultimately, they bested a team from Pennsylvania to win the 2023 LifeSmarts title.
Members of the team are Chris Ho (team captain), Adam Nelson, Maddy Agustin, Benson Leung and Kaitlyn Mcleod-Asahan with coach Kit-U Wong.
“Outside of their remarkable performance, our students carried themselves with humbleness, selflessness and sportsmanship, representing the school values that we teach here,” Maryknoll president and head of school Shana Tong said in a press release.
LifeSmarts is part of the National Consumers League, which was founded in 1899 by famed social reformers Jane Addams and Josephine Lowell.
The contest is sponsored locally by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Business Registration and Insurance Division and the Hawaii Credit Union League.