Wise counsel
wins prize for
Waipahu senior

Aiza Go takes third place
in national essay contest
on money management

Star-Bulletin staff

Navigating through the daily twists and turns of the stock market be a source of angst for even the most seasoned trader. But investors should look beyond short-term movements of the stock market and take a broader investment perspective.

That approach paid off for Waipahu High School senior Aiza Cathe Alejandro Go.

Go is one of the top finishers in a nationwide essay competition sponsored by Colorado-based National Endowment for Financial Education, which promotes financial literacy.

Go received $1,000 for a third-place finish in the annual contest for her entry which urged investors to base their decisions on their short-term and long-term financial goals and not the daily occurrences on Wall Street.

"You just can't pick a stock and expect that it will be sensational overnight," Go said. "Investing takes a lot of work and research."

Elizabeth Schiever, director of the endowment's High School Financial Planning Program, said Go and other contest winners demonstrated they understand the importance of setting long-term goals.

The students understand the stock market is not "get rich quick," Schiever said.

"This is a critical lesson for young people to learn before they reach adulthood and become responsible for managing their own money," she said.

Go's third-place finish was in the contest's mixed-media category. Nearly 1,000 students from 43 states and the District of Columbia entered this year's contest.

For her part, Go plans to use her award to help pay for college next year at California Polytechnic State University, where she will major in biology. At Waipahu High School, Go is active in student government and is a member of the engineering and robotics clubs.