Dazzling Dozen: Celebrating 12 Top Storytellers in Round 2 of Wharton’s 2024 Comment and Win Contest
True story. Our Wharton Global Youth team has been lost in your Round 2 reflections for days!
Following the July 5 deadline, we dove in, immersed in threads of creative, business-minded commenters who embraced the 2024 Comment and Win Contest Round 2 storytelling theme with enthusiasm and flair — sharing stories with insight, reflection, opinion and humor. Traveling through some 110 story-laden comments has been charming and, at times, arduous. TBH, we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Each year, Wharton’s Comment and Win storytelling round reveals high school students’ deepest passions, aspirations and struggles as they draw connections to what they’ve read. The most successful storytellers weave their honest experiences with direct article business themes, conveying clear and compelling sentiments. It’s storytelling with purpose – and a strong connection to the related content.
Mostly, we adored hearing about what the world’s youth are up to, which amounts to some incredible and innovative pursuits tied to business through leadership, innovation, resilience, empathy and exploration.
We see you! John P.’s anguish quitting the piano “(imagine leaving your best friend you have been with for eight years.”); Gopika S.’s stellar club leadership; Miranda E.’s San Salvadoran entrepreneurial spirit; Daphne Z’s Bossgirl mentality; and, of course, so much food love, from Jake P.s Korean Kimbap craze to Beatriz R.’s Brazilian Prato Feito with rice, beans, fried eggs, fries and steak.
We appreciated the business of art vibes from Sophie X. and Ina N. (“I recently developed my understanding of the connection between art and business by attending Wharton’s Future of the Business World program.”); and trips down Google for martial arts tricking, Tollywood, deuteragonist (nice SAT word) and Chopin’s Barcarolle. Special shoutout to Hayoon C. for a story that led from Korea to the U.S. for a chance at savoring “the evanescent beauty of a childhood.”
The Dazzling Dozen
We ultimately selected the following 12 master storytellers (in no specific order), and also awarded several superlatives, which you can read about below. Take some time to check them out!
Grace C., 17 and a student at the Kent School in Connecticut, U.S., gave us layers to appreciate in her comment on The Wharton Investment Competition Sparks a Passion for Finance. Grace, who participated in Wharton Global Youth’s Essentials of Finance program this summer, deftly knitted together her experiences at Wharton with points from the article that added value to the conversation, while also honoring her growth in investing. See you in the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition, Grace!
Our next master storyteller was William L., 15 and a student at Stuyvesant High School in New York, U.S. William’s comment on How Will AI and Hybrid Work Change Your Job expressed his passion for architecture, while capturing the essence of our mission with Wharton Global Youth content: discovering new insights and ways of thinking about business through Wharton research and analysis.
We felt your struggle, Angelina W., 14 and a freshman at International School on The Rhine in Neuss, Germany. Angelina’s comment on Lessons from Shake Shack Founder Danny Meyer, with a Side of Fries, was lovely in its storytelling simplicity and impactful in its message about pressures to choose the right path.
Eva W., 15 and a student at The Bronx High School of Science in New York, U.S., actually showed us how “brand loyalty follows a neurological path” in her comment on Business, the Brain and Brand Loyalty. In a sea of text, we were grateful for her clever and clear storytelling approach.
Eva’s classmate David H., 16 and a student at The Bronx High School of Science in New York, U.S., brought some drama to Round 2 with his story of family business, personal hardship and financial empowerment on 10 Truths about Smart Financial Decision Making. David’s connection with the content took on new meaning when he “unknowingly applied many of Professor Mitchell’s “truths” to alleviate the financial burden that had been dropped onto my parent’s shoulders.”
Similarly, Isabella P., 15 and a student at American High School in Colombia, identified closely with many of the themes in Dr. Adam Grant’s discussion of How to Discover Potential in Yourself and Others. Her tennis journey seamlessly combined several key business concepts, including the growth mindset, grit and the awareness that failure and criticism are important aspects of learning.
Daniel X., 16 and a student at Jefferson Forest High School in Virginia, U.S., shared some stellar leadership insights in his comment on The Essence of Managerial Thinking. Daniel recalled highlights of his recent summer business exploration and connected them to Dr. Lori Rosenkopf’s management insight, without getting too caught up in the details.
We were taken with Brian C.’s well-expressed brush with energy poverty. Brian, 15 and a student at Stuyvesant High School in New York, U.S., commented on Brighter Business: A Student Researcher Measures the Impact of His Solar-Power Nonprofit, revealing an empathy-building experience that helped him see the world in a new way.
Kelly Z., 16 and a student at Polytechnic High School in California, U.S., stood out among so many excellent aspiring entrepreneurs with her comment on Social Entrepreneurs Tackle Climate Change and the Future of Food. Much like the innovators in the article, Kelly’s Cycle Sustain compost bin could deliver some serious social impact.
Our next storytelling superstar, Zimeng Z., 15 and a student at Skyline High School in Texas, U.S., commented persuasively – drawing from her observations — about the extreme contradictions in the acceptance of AI in the classroom. Inspired by the views and research of Wharton School professors, Zimeng suggested that “collaboration with AI is a critical skill that needs to be taught in school instead of avoided.” She is poised to let her informed voice be heard.
We felt a Namaste vibe and deep content connection from Jayden W., 17 and a senior at Stuyvesant High School in New York, U.S. Jayden’s comment on the podcast transcript, Shining a Light on Health and Fitness in the South Side of Chicago showcased a social startup mission that aligned closely with Carter Wang’s Yeast Whey enterprise. Perhaps a mentorship is brewing in the pages of our business journal?
And a final storytelling shoutout to Jade L., 16 and a student at Hunter College High School in New York, U.S., for her comment on A Tool for Student Loans and Advice for Your Financial Future. Commenting, whether with personal stories or otherwise, is about expressing a piece of yourself in response to new knowledge and perspectives. Jade isn’t likely to accept Gen Z’s limitations, but instead to take action: “My generation may be the least financially literate, but we are also the ones to be self-aware and eager to learn more.”
A Few More to Explore
And now, storytelling superlatives awarded to Round 2 commenters around specific themes:
Best Example of a ChatGPT Pivot: Akshara D., 14 and a freshman at DY Patil International School in Nerul, India, for her comment on Wharton’s Christian Terwiesch on How Chat GPT Can Stimulate Your Thinking.
Strongest Connection to Food, Culture and Self-discovery: Jeonghoo H., 16 and a student at Torrey Pines High School in California, U.S., for his comment on Rice, Beans and Saffron: Fighting Hunger While Celebrating Community Diversity.
Most intriguing Advice from Mom: Cynthia Z., 15 and a student at Cape Fear Academy in North Carolina, U.S., for her cautionary comment on A Start-up Brand Chases a New Generation of ‘Tea Friends’ and Profits for Yunnan Farmers.
Warmest Observations of Family and Business: Winson W., 15 and a student at St. Francis Preparatory School in New York, U.S., for his comment on From Pizza to Finance, Students Talk about Joining the Family Business.
Coolest Consumer with a Conscience: Jiwon J., 17 and a student at Northfield Mount Hermon in South Korea, for her comment on Fashionista Environmentalists Shop Recommerce Instead of the Mall.
Quirkiest Line in an Interesting Reflection: Dmitry G., 18 and a student at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York, U.S., for his comment on A Budding Bioengineer Makes Nutritional Gummies for Teens: “Chef Ben! Can you please microwave this soap so it looks like bread for Senior Prank Day?”
Top Food Innovator in Training: (especially with carrots, ricotta and feta): Anurhada D., 16 and a student at Padua Academy in Delaware, U.S., for her comment on The Sweet Allure of Mission-driven Baking.
Most Likely to Educate and Engage Students in Eco-Projects: Beatriz Z., 17 and a student at Colégio Arena in Brazil, for her comment on Business, Plastic Pollution and the Circular Economy.
Greatest Sacrifice for Team-building Success: Jeongin K., 16 and a student at
École Jeannine Manuel Lille in Marcq-en-Barœul, France, for her comment on A Research Project Builds the Three C’s Model of Entrepreneurial Success: “I was getting cramps in my whole body as I had to stress my arms to hold the 1mm thin spaghetti stick without breaking it in a standing position.”
Most Memorable Thoughts on the Power of People, Stories and NYC: Baili S., 16 and a student at The Frisch School in New Jersey, U.S., for her comment on Wharton Research Adds to the Evolving Brand Story: “As we know, stories are what matter. They keep cultures going. They also keep a business going.”
Congratulations to our Round 2, 2024 winners and commenters! Keep sharing your stories and amplifying your voices!
You can also read about the results from Round 1, 2024 – theme: Anything Goes. And thanks to our collaboration with the Wharton School Press, top commenters in each round will receive your choice of e-book, written by Wharton School faculty.
Round 3, during which you replied directly to other comments, just wrapped up at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on July 19. Stay tuned for the results!
The fourth and final Comment & Win round begins on July 22 and runs an extra week until August 9. The theme is “Innovation Nation,” in which you must comment with your own enhancements or changes to an innovation you read about in a Wharton Global Youth article. Get all the details on our Comment & Win page. Good luck!