L.I.C. Students win bank contest

It was an award-winning performance turned in by a group of LaGuardia Community College students.
LaGuardia students took first and second place in a video contest where they had to produce a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) to promote awareness about personal finances among their peers. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Manhattan Borough President’s Office sponsored the contest.
Byron Guinanzaca, Christian Guinanzaca and Estela Melendez, took first-place with their video “Think Twice Before You Swipe,” which warns young people about the careless use of credit cards. Their PSA will be screened between feature films at multiplex theaters throughout New York City. The winners were also awarded internships at the Tribeca Film Institute.
In Shaun Sato’s second-place video, a stand up comedian’s routine on debt sends a clear message, “Debt is not a joke. Be responsible.” He won a networking luncheon with Tribeca officials and an all-access pass to the Tribeca Film Festival.
“The success of our students in the Federal Reserve Bank competition is just another example of the outstanding skills of our students,” said Peter Katopes, LaGuardia’s Interim President. “Our media arts and technology programs attract first-rate students and our extraordinary faculty is helping these young filmmakers develop the skills needed to succeed in an extremely competitive industry.”
Students at six area colleges submitted videos for the contest, and LaGuardia was the only community college to have entrants in the contest. The videos were required to cover such financial issues as credit management, bank accounts, credit products, identity theft and savings.
“Given the importance of financial literacy, we created this competition as a way to engage young people and to promote financial awareness among them,” said Kausar Hamdani, Senior Vice President and Community Affairs Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.