By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
The Gibbons School Economic Team. Photo/Brian Paulhus
Westborough – A group of eight grade students from the Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School recently traveled to the Statehouse in Boston to be honored for a major achievement – coming in first in a statewide economics contest for middle school students. What made this even more impressive is that students took on the challenge late in the process with only two weeks to prepare.
Brian Paulhus, a social studies teacher at the school, served as the economic team advisor.
He explained that one student, Adway Wadekar, approached the school’s principal, John Foley, with a petition requesting the school form an economic team to compete in a challenge sponsored by Salem State University and the Mass. Council on Economic Education. The only problem was the deadline to enter was that day, March 26.
“But Mr. Foley was totally supportive of the idea,” Paulhus said. “And as I was an advisor for the school’s Politics Club and Stock Club, he asked me to be the advisor for this club too, which I was happy to do.”
Over the next two weeks, the club’s seven members studied so that they could take the online test in April. They were then delighted to discover they had come in first place.
As a result, the students were invited to visit the Statehouse where they were given a tour that included the office of State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg.
“It was a whirlwind for sure,” Paulhus said, “but the kids worked so hard. And it’s nice to see that this was all student-led.”
“It’s also great to see these kids get recognition for something like this and that others appreciate their hard work,” he added.
The team included Kael Pelletier, Adway Wadekar, Ananthan Sadagopan, Neil Kale, Khang Vo, Soham Gangophadyay, and Adish Jain.