A team of 10 Long Island high school students has won a local marketing competition that challenged them to tackle a real-world business issue.

The group took the title this past fall at Adelphi University’s Apprentice Challenge, which asked teams to create proposals exploring what Generation Z seeks from financial institutions and develop marketing strategies on ways to “boost brand relevance, loyalty and engagement,” the university said.

This year’s competition included 213 students from 27 local high schools with proposals presented to a panel of university business professors and industry professionals from Jovia Financial Credit Union, according to Adelphi.

“Our annual challenge is a great opportunity for high school students to learn from industry professionals invaluable tips and tricks about what it means to be a business professional,” said Shannon Jones, Adelphi’s visit experience manager and one of the event’s organizers.

The winning team, named “Jammin’ for Jovia,” included the following students: Alessandra Canzoneri, Carle Place High School; Harnoor Joneja, Jericho High School; Garrett Landler, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School; Roy Leshem, George W. Hewlett High School; Ja’Nyah Martin, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School; Sophia Mastrototaro, New Hyde Park Memorial High School; Evan Morsi, North Shore High School in Glen Head; Eliana Perez Reyes, Lawrence High School; Lia Simeone, Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick; and Suhayla Uddin, John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore.

BALDWIN/JERICHO

Grow-NY finalists

Jada Benjamin, Sanaya Halyard and Benjamin Mason of Baldwin High School and Chloe Day, Manasvi Dendukuri, Isabelle Deon and Aanya Gupta of Jericho High School were finalists this past fall for their submissions to the Grow-NY Youth Competition, a business pitch contest that challenged participants to solve problems in the agriculture, food and sustainability fields.

Baldwin’s students collaborated on a project that featured a “modern system of floating planters aimed at restoring Long Island’s waterways,” according to the school.

“We’re incredibly proud of their hard work and the way they’ve grown together through this experience,” Gabriella Franza, Baldwin’s assistant director of instructional programs said in a statement.

BRENTWOOD

Hispanic heritage

Alisson Menjivar Serrano, an eighth grader at East Middle School in Brentwood, was one of four grand-prize winners in the 18th Annual Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest coordinated by Optimum. She received a $3,000 scholarship.

The contest invited students in Optimum’s 21-state service area to share in 500 words or less a person, experience or tradition that has “helped them to connect to Hispanic culture,” according to the company. Alisson’s winning essay was titled “San Salvador: Where the City Awakens the Senses.”

“Each year we are reminded of the positive impact we can make by fostering education and honoring diversity in the communities we serve,” Sean O’Connell, a senior vice president and regional general manager at Optimum, said in a statement.

FLORAL PARK

Poet laureates

The Sewanhaka Central High School District recently held an inaugural poet laureate workshop in which a student representative from each of the district’s five schools collaborated on “districtwide literacy initiatives aimed at strengthening connections among young writers,” according to the district.

To apply for the position, students submitted poetry portfolios and letters of recommendation from a school official. The district plans to select five new poet laureates each year, Sewanhaka said.

“It was so much fun getting to meet and work with people who share the same passions,” said Giuliana DePaola, a senior at Floral Park Memorial High School and one of this year’s poet laureates. “I think we were able to come up with some really cool ideas to implement in the district.”

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.