Crown Heights
A Crown Heights student nabbed first place in a national essay competition last month, writing a veritable how-to on saving the planet — and turning a profit, according to one contest honcho.
“By making economics fun, interesting and relevant… we can give students of all backgrounds a better understanding of their personal financial lives, our economy, and the opportunities inherent in the global capital markets,” said Melanie Mortimer, president of the SIFMA Foundation.
Parkside Preparatory student Ariel Granger chose to write about an issue she was passionate about, the ozone layer, claiming its the only thing standing between humanity and the sun’s deadly radiation.
“The environment is very important for human existence. Earth is our home, so we must protect it and the components that help protect us,” Granger wrote in her winning essay.
Granger’s essay didn’t just focus on the importance of protecting the ozone layer.
She also focused on how people can put their money where their mouth is by investing in environmentally friendly companies.
One business that Granger highlighted is NextEra, a company which produces clean energy by building windmills and thereby eliminating the need for more noxious sources of power.
But Granger’s essay isn’t interested solely in companies doing good by mother earth — they need to make a profit, too — and the youngster suggests that NextEra’s stocks are currently undervalued, and could prove lucrative as a long-term investment.
For her stellar essay, Granger nabbed a trophy, a pizza party, and an all expenses paid trip to where else but New York City, meaning the SIFMA Foundation can avoid the pricey investment in an airline ticket for the Crown Heights genius.
Standing O takes its hat off to this Crown Heights brainiac!
— Elizabeth Winn
