Watch “She’s Got Cents: The Eva Baker Story” here: http://bit.ly/ShesGotCents_JMI.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2014
Contact: Valerie Wickboldt / vwickboldt@jamesmadison.org / (850) 386-3131
Jacksonville Teen Named as Preston A. Wells, Jr. Student Award Winner During Wi$e Money Week
~ Center for American Ideals at The James Madison Institute announced a North Florida teen entrepreneur as the 2014 recipient of the student award for the development of her website TeensGotCents.com ~
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the City of Jacksonville continues to celebrate the Third Annual Wi$e Money Week, The Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for American Ideals (Wells Center) at The James Madison Institute (JMI) announced Jacksonville teen Eva Baker as the winner of the 2014 Preston A. Wells Jr. Student Award.Baker created the website TeensGotCents.com and her story is told in the just-released video from JMI “She’s Got Cents: The Story of Eva Baker,” which can be viewed at this link http://bit.ly/ShesGotCents_JMI. The Preston A. Wells, Jr. Student Award is given annually to a distinguished Florida student who does something notable or extraordinary to advance the ideals of the Wells Center. “Eva took initiative creating a fun and informative tool that was lacking in the area of personal finance education for teens,” said Dr. Bob McClure, JMI president and CEO. “Teens like Eva stand out for their ability to be proactive and resourceful. Her ability to connect teens with a topic that is important for their future success is truly a great contribution to the state of Florida. That’s why we’re so thrilled to announce her as the recipient of the Preston A. Wells, Jr. Student Award.”The Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for American Ideals seeks to help students learn more about the time-honored ideals that have animated American life since our nation’s founding. Housed at The James Madison Institute in Tallahassee, the Center provides a variety of useful resources for instructors including booklets, posters, learning activities, quizzes, and more. In addition, the Center regularly sponsors a bevy of special learning opportunities for high school students including presentations by public officials, prominent scholars, and historical performers and a number of programs for college students including movie nights, book clubs, seminars, and internships.While the Center addresses a wide range of topics, its work is primarily organized around two time-honored ideals: (1) freedom and (2) thrift. These ideals are often underappreciated in our day; yet they are foundational to the American way of life and to the success of our political institutions and economic system.The official awards ceremony will be held in September 2014 at a JMI Constitution Day event held in Tallahassee. Details will be announced later in the summer.”I am so honored to be this year’s recipient of the Preston A. Wells, Jr. Award,” said Baker. “Working on TeensGotCents.com has been the highlight of my high school years and I am very grateful to The James Madison Institute for the recognition.”For more information on JMI and the Wells Center visit www.jamesmadison.org and www.foramericanideals.org respectively.
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