〖For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the areas of study that you previously noted in the application.〗
In stockmarketgame.org's 2020 spring event, my team spent hours brainstorming how to separate ourselves from the hundreds of opposing squads each week. Struggling to advance, we decided to short travel stocks, such as American Airlines and Boeing, during the initial news of COVID-19, which propelled us into the top five of the leaderboard. This experience reinforced my interest in economics.
Beyond the stock market, economics is fundamentally a societal problem-solving process: to help more with less. As I searched for real-world economics experience, I launched the virtual Southeastern Pennsylvania Investment Conference (SEPAIC) to address the lack of financial literacy opportunities among high school students. My team and I invited speakers from the business, finance, management, and economics fields to share their insights into their careers and experiences. Using Zoom, we opened free sessions for my high school and the surrounding districts. Speakers usually gave a twenty-minute presentation, followed by a question period during which the guests and students could interact. Watching the curiosity of my peers pour into the tiny chat box demonstrated that students only needed the opportunity to increase their financial literacy. With a stronger foundation in economics, I hope to expand SEPAIC and develop programs to help even more people.
