GCA Business Club Gets Down to Business to Win ACEE State Finalists Spot

GCA Team 1 (pictured bottom left) - comprised of Aryan Bhatia (10th), Lucas Liu (9th), Jayden Yates (10th), and John Vu (11th) - and The Intangible Assets (pictured top right) - comprised of Carter Carmichael (10th), Emma Tran (11th), and Iris Tang (11th) - won the qualifier which was a test and/or presentation that over 2,000 Arizona students took at their own campuses. 

In GCA’s first year participating in the competition, their team, “The Intangible Assets,” won, becoming State Finalists. These students will be representing Arizona on the National stage at the National Personal Finance Challenge State Championship in Atlanta, Georgia on June 1-2, 2025; an event sponsored by the Council for Economic Education.

Their State Finalist win secured funds to help them pay for plane tickets to Atlanta, where “The Intangible Assets” have another opportunity to win even more money if they place in the top 4 and/or win.

The Intangible Assets have been studying and preparing for these competitions for most of the school year and have worked incredibly hard to achieve this win - competing against schools like Hamilton High School, Basis Scottsdale, Basis Chandler, Basis Ahwatukee, Basis Mesa, ACP and Salpointe.

Iris Tang, the President of the GCA Business Club, is very passionate about finance and has been trying to get her fellow students involved and interested throughout this school year. 

Iris and team member Carter Carmichael were interviewed by ABC 15 News.

GCA Business Club advisor and math teacher Mrs. Cathleen Gary has worked with both teams of students and couldn’t be more proud of their performance and “The Intangible Assets” win. But this isn’t the first time GCA Business Club students have demonstrated their financial skills, says Cathleen Gary. “For the last two years, we have participated in the Arizona Financial Face Off at the University of Arizona and we won both. Our students at GCA are very driven.”

These students have shown that Gilbert Classical Academy is a school where students are passionate about and dedicated to what they believe in, always trying their best. Despite their focus on academic performance, Cathleen Gary and her students know “it’s not always about academics here. We do know how to have fun and we participate in many diverse activities.” 

To learn more about Gilbert Classical Academy and even schedule a tour of their campus, visit their website https://gilbertclassicalacademy.gilbertschools.net/.