Published on: 8 November 2013


Some of Christ Church’s top performing students in Economics and Commerce have been recognised with a number of awards in three national contests including the Australian Economics and Business Studies Competition, Plan Your Own Enterprise Competition and the ESSI Money Challenge.

Most recently, Gary Song (Year 8) was awarded the national prize in the 13 to 15-year-old category of the ESSI Money Challenge. Gary won $1,000 in the competition, which tests student’s financial literacy skills in a simulation where students make financial decisions with the goal of earning as much money as possible in a given period of time.

Head of Economics and Commerce Andrew Greig said all Christ Church students were exposed to the simulation game in Year 8 Humanities with all Years 8 and 9 students entering the competition in Term 3. Gary is the first student from Christ Church to win in the competition’s five-year history. “Gary’s effort of making $39,358 was not only enough to win the 13 to 15-year age bracket but it also surpassed the amount made by anyone in the 16 to 18-year age bracket,” Mr Greig said.

In May, all 117 students from Years 11 and 12 Economics classes took part in the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Economics Competition, while 65 students from the Year 10 Investing and Enterprise classes completed the UNSW Business Studies Competition. “As the competition is in May, students had to rely on some of their business and economic knowledge from the previous year to succeed,” Mr Greig said.

In the Economics competition, Liam Kearney (Year 12) was the State winner of the senior competition. In the Business Studies competition, Nicholas O’Callaghan (Year 10) was the State winner of the junior competition. Nicholas Lim (Year 11) and Isaac Dowse (Year 10) received High Distinctions, awarded to the top five per cent. Christ Church also received 14 distinctions, awarded to the top 15 per cent of entrants.

Brendan Lim (Year 10) was the State winner of the 2013 Plan Your Own Enterprise competition held in Term 1. Mr Greig said all Year 10 Investing and Enterprise students at Christ Church entered the competition, which challenged students to create their own 3,000-word business plan for a unique and enterprising idea. Brendan also flew to Melbourne to present his idea to a panel of judges to determine the national prizewinner.