SAN JUAN—The Puerto Rico Bankers Association (PRBA) and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have announced the winners of the 10th Financial Awareness Video Contest, a competition that promotes financial education as a fundamental tool in the development and guidance of younger generations toward a better well-being and future. Over the past decade, the contest has motivated college students to draw on their talent to develop creative audiovisual pieces about financial education.
The theme of this year’s competition was entrepreneurship, including how to establish a company, how to obtain credit for a company, how to export a product, and how to prepare a company to face a catastrophic event.
“We are pleased to co-sponsor the Financial Awareness Video Festival with the Puerto Rico Bankers Association,” said Tony Davis, community affairs officer and director of community engagement at the New York Fed. “This education-focused competition helps to engage young adults across the island, and the video topics have evolved to remain relevant to the target population. The importance of growing resilient small businesses on the island is key to future growth.”
There were 37 videos submitted, with 196 students participating as competitors, actors, and production support.
“The Bankers Association’s educational role is fundamental for the potential of impact that initiatives like this one have on society,” said Zoimé Álvarez Rubio, PRBA’s executive vice president. “Not only do these efforts promote financial knowledge amongst our young adults, but they also represent education alternatives for colleges. It is essential knowledge to understand and be conscious of what finances entail, how to manage them, and how responsible financial practices can be beneficial in different aspects of life.”
“The PRBA and its bank members are proud of the dedication and creativity exercised by all participants in the production of their videos. Without a doubt, all the teamwork involved to achieve a high-quality product was reflected in each piece,” Álvarez Rubio added.
The first-place video, titled “The Dream Begins,” addresses the steps needed to turn the entrepreneurship dream into a reality. The piece was produced by Janiel Hernández Aponte, Abimael E. Rosado Castro, and Gilmary Cruz Lugo from the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao Campus.
In second place was “Export Your Talent,” a video about the importance of knowing your product in order to adequately plan how to export it. It was produced by Christian Díaz Alejandro, Yolymarie Rivas Betancourt, and Yaritza Rivas Martínez from the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao Campus.
The third-place winner was “Everything Starts with a Dream,” which emphasizes on the importance of establishing a plan to achieve your dreams. The piece was produced by Zulmarian Castro Rodríguez and Erymael López Rivera from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.
The top three winners were selected by a panel of judges. In addition, a period of open public voting was carried out through the PRBA’s web page for the selection of the People’s Choice Award. The video “I Reinvent Myself,” produced by Lily I. Morales Quintana, Josué J. Marrero, and Luis J. Ramírez Pérez from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, won the award for the public’s favorite video.
The winners of the competition received monetary prizes, with the first-place group also awarded a trip to New York City to visit the New York Fed. The winners of the People’s Choice Award will benefit from a coaching session in finances with the sponsors of the competition.
New York Fed Contact
Brian Manning
(212) 720-6143
brian.manning@ny.frb.org
Puerto Rico Bankers Association Contact
Irmaliz Rodríguez
(787) 505-9855
irmaliz.rodriguez@gmail.com
