Geneseo Students Triumph in FDIC’s Banking Challenge

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has crowned the State University of New York College at Geneseo as the triumphant winners of the Third Annual FDIC Academic Challenge.

This prestigious competition, which tests undergraduate students’ knowledge of the U.S. banking sector, saw a team led by faculty advisor Leonie Stone emerge victorious with Jenna Huizinga, Ian Merrihew, Jake Syzmanski, and Chris Bridenbaugh as its members.

Geneseo’s victory was not without stiff competition, as they outshone finalist teams from California State University Fullerton, James Madison University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

The FDIC’s Center for Financial Research hosted the challenge, which involved two rounds. The first round required student teams to utilize various public data sources in preparing their written submissions. The second round saw these finalists present their findings before a panel of judges specializing in banking and bank supervision, who then grilled them on their research.

For their exceptional performance, Geneseo’s team has been recognized with the FDIC 2022-2023 Academic Challenge award. This victory underscores the university’s commitment to fostering financial literacy among its students.

The FDIC extends its congratulations to all participating teams and looks forward to next year’s challenge.