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Piper High School student wins national Budget Challenge, surprised with a $20,000 scholarship

6 min read

6 min read

May 11, 2017

Annelise Wiens


Piper High School senior Zachary King from Kansas City, Kansas won a $20,000 scholarship for his performance in the H&R Block Budget Challenge, a free financial literacy program that helps teens get real-world ready from the safety of a classroom. The Piper senior is one of five scholarship winners nationwide from the 2017 spring semester and the first from the Kansas City metro area in the program’s three-year history.

“Um, pretty shocked. It’s a lot at once,” King said after receiving the check at a surprise event in the school’s library.

King, a Sporting Kansas City fan, received a second surprise when Tim Melia, goalkeeper for Sporting KC, arrived to offer his congratulations and gifts from Sporting KC, including a personalized jersey and signed soccer ball.

Personal finance education important to teens but not widely available

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