For Immediate Release – July 1st, 2026
New York, NY — Working in Support of Education (W!se) is excited to announce the winners of its third annual Financial Literacy Video Contest, a creative initiative designed to promote financial literacy among New York high school students. The contest is generously sponsored by Bread Financial®, a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions
Each winning student and their teacher will receive cash prizes. The five winners are:
- First Place: Samden Thakuri from Brooklyn Technical High School; Teacher Raymond Bradshaw Student prize: $2,500; Teacher prize: $1,000
- Second Place: Mahir Rahman from Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology; Teacher Joshua Eberle Student prize: $1,500; Teacher prize: $750
- Third Place: Roman Rotstein from High School of Art and Design; Teacher Hanan Harchol Student prize: $1,000; Teacher prize: $500
- Fourth Place: Elias Dudkowski from Tonawanda High School; Teacher Isaac Johnson Student prize: $750; Teacher prize: $250
- Fifth Place: Peiein Li from Francis Lewis High School; Teacher Michael Cotignola Student prize: $500; Teacher prize: $150
W!se is also pleased to present the Principal Award of $1,000 to Nidhi Babbar of Francis Lewis High School for highest number of submissions.
“We’re inspired by the creativity and thoughtfulness students brought to this year’s contest,” said David Anderson, President and CEO, W!se. “Their videos show how financial literacy can be both educational and engaging, and we’re grateful to Bread Financial for supporting a contest that helps bring these lessons to life.”
This year, the contest featured four prompts to choose from:
- Distinguish between “good debt” and “bad debt” and explain the consequences of each
- Demonstrate two common scams that target young people and how to avoid them
- Document a “Day in the Life of a Thrifty Spender” and show how those habits save money
- Compare two investors—one drawn to trends like meme stocks and the other who uses more traditional investment strategies
“Bread Financial is dedicated to fostering lifelong financial confidence,” said Dana Beckman, vice president and chief sustainability officer, Bread Financial. “Partnering with W!se has been incredibly rewarding, as it highlights how creative approaches can make financial education both impactful and accessible. Seeing students embrace these concepts with such enthusiasm underscores the importance of starting financial literacy early, and we’re honored to support an initiative that equips them for a successful future.”
To view the winning videos, click here.
About Working in Support of Education (W!se)
Working in Support of Education (W!se) is a leading educational nonprofit based in New York City with a mission to improve the lives of young people and at-risk adults through programs that develop financial literacy and readiness for college and the workforce. For more information, visit wise-ny.org. Follow W!se on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @wisenewyork.
About Bread Financial®
Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, technology, electronics, jewelry, home and specialty apparel through our co-brand and private label credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers. Additionally, we offer Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and saving products that empower our customers and their passions for a better life.
Bread Financial proudly marks 30 years of success in 2026. To learn more about our global associates, our performance and our sustainability progress, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.