Value of an Education

Ca$hing In

Walt Disney is credited with a quote that is often used for business inspiration — “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Essentially, you can’t be successful at your chosen target if all you do it talk about it but never start. Self-motivation and dedication is often at the core of a person’s success. Without them, work toward your goal will slowly wither and eventually die. ASMSA students participate and compete in various economic and finance-related competitions during the school year. Competitions include the Stock

Students find value in Market Game, in which students try to improve an investment portfolio of stocks to the Arkansas Economfinance-related contests ics Challenge and Personal Finance Challenge as well as FBLA. An ASMSA student won the yearlong as well as the fall and spring sessions of the Stock Market Game competitions in the 2021-22 academic year, repeating as the yearlong champion. A team of juniors finished first

in the Arkansas Economics Challenge and second place in the Personal Finance Challenge. Five students qualifi ed for the FBLA National Competition this year with many others earning recognition in the district and state competitions.

“This success is entirely their own making,” said Carl Frank, a computer science instructor who serves as faculty adviser for the students in the competitions. “Win, lose or draw it is. The students do the work. The students at ASMSA have always done well at these and other events. ASMSA students develop collaborative skills through study sessions, peer mentoring, etc. They like helping one another.”

Talana Small (’23) was a member of the team who competed in both the Arkansas Economics Challenge and the Personal Finance Challenge. She said she participated in the competitions because she enjoys math and wanted to see how that interest meshed with fi nance and economics. She is happy that ASMSA students have opportunities to participate in these kind of competitions.

“It’s important to off er these opportunities to students because it increases teamship and camaraderie within the school,” Small said. “ASMSA students have always been super competitive, and team events such as these give us the fun and confi dence boost that comes with winning without the guilt and overzealousness that comes when you defeat someone you intimately know.”

Connor Bailey (’22) made a splash in Spring 2021’s Stock Market Game competition. He took the virtual $100,000 portfolio each student is given at the beginning of a session and grew it to a $1 millionplus portfolio. It was the fi rst time a student had topped the $1 millionmark in the state competition. He followed that up this year by winning the spring session again as well as the fall and yearlong sessions.

Bailey said competitions such as the Stock Market Game can teach students valuable fi nancial lessons. They also can help inform students about world events, allowing providing a diff erent perspective.

“I’m constantly reading the news and just generally looking at current events,” Bailey said. “I made sure I was up to date with what was happening around the world and what companies had to deal with certain regulations being passed, new promising sectors, etc. My biggest takeaway from the Stock Market Game is that what is happening around the world can aff ect the markets dramatically.”

The Stock Market Game teaches students fi nancial literacy and how to best prepare themselves for the future, he said. The real-life practice a student can receive from playing the Stock Market Game is unmatched. The various competitions allow ASMSA students to display their versatility while also providing challenging opportunities to grow.

“This allows for students like myself to try something diff erent and possibly fi nd their new passion,” Bailey said. “The great part about ASMSA students is that we love new challenges. ASMSA students continue to place very high in all the competition we compete in because of the drive we have in all different aspects.”

Frank said making sure that students have such real-world activities is one of the main reasons he helps facilitate the competitions for the students. Without them, they lose out on learning experiences.

“Whether the activity is for individuals or teams, there is a growth opportunity,” Frank said. “Opportunities to learn about diff erent subjects or content; opportunities to collaborate, a chance to network with other students and professionals; and in some instances opportunities to travel, either to student conferences or awards/recognition programs.

“For some, the benefi ts are minor and fl eeting, for others they can be long lasting, impacting their intended major, choice of college, and career.”

List of honors ASMSA students earned in business competitions

2022 FBLA State Conference

ASMSA had 17 students who qualifi ed to compete at the state conference. The competitors earned the opportunity to compete in the state tournament by placing in the top six in their category at the FBLA District IV competition.

Students who qualifi ed for the state competition included seniors Arindam Deb, Jaysee Magby, MK Mashburn, Bear Moore and Blake Smith; juniors Madison Arenaz, Kiley Barton, Beth Catron, Abigail Finney, Izzy Funes, Buckley Harrison, Talana Small, Alyssa Thomas, Jaden Williams and Vicky Zhu; and sophomores Carter Horton and Shane Wood.

Ten students earned recognition at the state conference. Five of those students qualifi ed to compte in the National FBLA Conference competition held this summer in Chicago.

Qualifying for the national competition were: • Trey Clark, third place, Data Analysis; • Carter Horton, third place, Introduction to Business Concepts; • Abigail Finney, third place, Job Interview; and • the team of Madison Arenaz and Blake Smith, fi rst place, Marketing.

Blake Smith also completed a term as District IV FBLA President and State FBLA Vice President in 2022.

2021-22 The Stock Market Game

Senior Connor Bailey was a repeat champion, winning the Afterschool Yearlong Division in The Stock Market Game sponsored by Economics Arkansas a second year in a row. He also added fi rst-place titles for the Afterschool Fall and Spring competitions.

The Stock Market Game gives students a virtual $100,000 portfolio to invest. Bailey fi nished with a portfolio of more than $365,000.

2022 Arkansas Economics Challenge and 2022 Personal Finance Challenge

Teams from ASMSA won fi rst place in the Arkansas Economics Challenge and second place in the Personal Finance Challenge.

The team of juniors Talana Small, Bethany Catron, Kiley Barton and Madison Arenaz won fi rst place in the David Ricardo Division of the Arkansas Economics Challenge. The division is for students who have had no more than one economics course. The team qualifi ed for the national competition this summer with the win.

Small, Barton and Arenaz teamed together to place second in the Arkansas Personal Finance Challenge.

Both competitions were sponsored by Economics Arkansas.

Ready to Run

Andreas Bradley (‘22) relied on his work ethic to come back to compete in track. Now he’s ready for the next challenge.

Frequent visitors to the path that winds through Whittington Park likely passed by Andreas Bradley (’22) — or perhaps it’s more likely that he passed by them very quickly.

The loop on Whittington Avenue around the park is where Bradley could be found training to run track for Hot Springs World Class High School. ASMSA students may participate in athletics at the school through a partnership program.

He would practice a couple of times a week at Hot Springs High’s track, but his other four training days were spent running miles around Whittington Park, often by himself. He followed a training plan he developed over time, taking advice from his coach, but he is mostly self-trained.

Hot Springs High Coach Milton Williams said that is what made the Jacksonville native a great example for his teammates.

“He has a tremendous work ethic,” said Williams, who is a member of the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame recognized for both his own NAIA All-American shot put and discus career in college at the University of Arkansas at Monticello as well as his coaching career that includes four Sun Belt conference titles while serving as head coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

“He does lots of things that should serve as a model for young athletes. He is a great mentor and role model for the younger members of the team. Andreas does all the little things right. He does all the little things to prepare to run well. I can use him as an example at any time. His attention to detail, his warmup, his cool down. His teammates can learn from him.”

That kind of attitude continues to drive Bradley’s ambitions as he will begin his college career at the University of Oregon this fall. Oregon has one of the top collegiate track programs in the nation. Since 2012, the university has won 14 NCAA Team Championships in indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country.

Bradley earned a $40,000 academic scholarship to attend Oregon. He also will have an internship with the school’s sports media unit, where he will work with the track team to take photos and manage media. He will also walk on to compete on the track team, he said.

William’s statement is especially meaningful as this was only Bradley’s second full season of high school track and the first where he was healthy the whole season. Injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic cut short previous seasons.

Bradley began his track career when he was 10. Running in general was something he always enjoyed and was good at, he said.

“I was always running as a kid,” Bradley said. “I’d run even around the house and school. When I was 9, I played baseball and I was fast getting around the bases. I tried track the next season, and it just stuck. I found success early.”

He participated on a couple of travel teams and in AAU track. His team would travel to other states to participate in meets. He had a goal of trying to qualify for the Junior Olympics. Bradley was a sprinter early on — qualifying in 400 and 800 meter races — before transitioning into distance races. Bradley joined the high school team during his freshman year. He ran varying distances from the 800 meters to a half-marathon, but focused heavily on 5K, 10K and 1-mile races.

An injury slowed him down near the end of his freshman season. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out his sophomore season at home and his junior season once he entered ASMSA in Fall 2020. He also couldn’t do a majority of his training, including his weightlifting sessions, because the school’s workout room was closed because of the pandemic and students’ activities offcampus were limited, which meant he couldn’t go for longer runs.

“It was hard not being able to race and then to not be able to train consistently as I needed to or at all. It set me back a lot farther than I wished. When the gym did open, I would go two times a day, six days a week to get back what I had missed. Over the summer, I had to work extra hard,” he said.

As some restrictions began to ease as the pandemic numbers began to shrink, Bradley picked up his routine of training. He raced cross country for Hot Springs during the fall semester, seeing Williams almost every weekday during that time, getting tips on how he could improve. In the spring, he led Hot Springs’ 4x800 team in the Class 5A State Meet in May. Bradley ran the first leg of the race along with three freshmen teammates.

Bradley raced the 800 meters in the Arkansas High School Invitational indoor races in January. It was the first time he ran on an indoor track. It didn’t go as well as he hoped, but Bradley didn’t let the unexpected results bother him,. He went back to training, preparing for the slate of spring events in which he would compete.

“A lot of it is definitely mental,” Bradley said. “You have to have self confidence that you will get better. Knowing I have friends who were trying to do the same thing, a group of friends who are working hard helps you. And I had a coach who is a really good coach. He helped to make sure I was hitting the right energy systems. He knows where you’ve worked hard and where you may have some doubt and can offer advice for both.”

Williams said that being able to let go of races in which he may not do as well as hoped is one of Bradley’s biggest strengths.

“My impression of Andreas is that he’s a very mature athlete,” Williams said. “He keeps things in perspective very well. He’ll take things in stride and doesn’t get discouraged. One bad race doesn’t change him. Good or bad, he keeps going forward. He certainly embodies all the characteristics you want in an athlete. Everything about Andreas is a positive.”

Nurse Has Pulse of Campus Life

Monica Jaskovic knows families put their trust in her to care for their children

Some of the most frequent questions parents of prospective students ask concern safety. It’s not surprising since they are considering sending their teenaged child to a residential school — often many hours away from for some.

The questions at times focus on the physical safety of campus. Is security onsite around the clock? Are there adults who oversee the residential quarters at night? Is there a curfew? Are buildings locked to prevent unauthorized visitors?

Just as important as those questions, however, are ones about the students’ health and wellbeing. Many students have daily prescriptions they must take. Others have medical issues which may need to be frequently monitored. And then there’s just the typical illnesses that come along with living and learning in a residential setting.

That’s where Nurse Monica Jaskovic plays an important role in maintaining a healthy campus. She is there each weekday morning to hand out the daily prescriptions. When a student feels ill during the day, she’s ready to diagnose and treat them.

In case of a medical emergency, she’s ready to be a first responder and either transport or arrange transport if needed.

Jaskovic joined ASMSA’s Residential Life Staff in October 2018. She is a Registered Nurse, starting her career in 2004. She worked on the pediatric floor of the then-St. Joseph Hospital before moving to St. Joseph’s Women’s Center for six years. In 2011, she became the school nurse at the Fountain Lake School District.

She knows that parents rely on her daily to help take care of their children.

“Parents put their trust in me to care for their children,” she said. “My days at ASMSA are never the same. I assess students daily with any medical issue they may be having and then determine if they need to be seen by a physician. I am responsible for medications, immunizations, CPR/Stop the Bleed training (which every student is required by the state to take before graduation) and medical emergencies that may happen. This job is different because this is the students’ home; they are in our care at all times.”

That includes the times while she’s not on campus. She conducts training for members of the of Residence Life Staff who live in the residence halls with the students so that they may be prepared to step in when needed.

“Her role is important to the operation of Residence Life because she does a lot of education with the staff,” said Dr. Rheo Morris, dean of students. “She ensures that we are all CPR and First Aid certified and know how to use EpiPens and Glucagons. She also teaches about signs of different illnesses and how to take care of a student if they are experiencing an episode of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia and seizures.

“Parents are, at the foremost,

School Nurse Monica Jaskovic often has students stop by to visit her office even when they aren’t ill. These visits help her get to know students personally.

concerned about the safety of their children when they are away from home, and Nurse Monica is a big part of that.”

Jaskovic said it is important to have a good working relationship with all of the residential staff because they work as a team. That may have come into deeper focus over the past couple of years as ASMSA along with the rest of world had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

What started as a two-week break in the March 2020 to try to circumvent cases of the virus turned into something much longer lasting and more impactful than first imagined. Students never returned campus that spring. The majority who did return in August 2020 found a much different atmosphere.

Gone were weekends returning home, and time off campus in town was severely limited. Masks were required everywhere on campus except in your own room, and even then concerns about spreading the virus to suitemates were of high concern as variants of the virus forced changes in approach sometimes almost daily.

“Medicine is always changing. That was definitely true during this pandemic,” Jaskovic said. “It was a struggle dealing with the unknown and the always changing nature of COVID-19. We had some very strict policies in our residential housing that was hard for a lot of students and their families, but we made these decisions based on one goal: That was to keep our students safe while staying open and in person.

“It was very stressful at times; the positive cases seemed to come in clusters. I was part of the COVID

workgroup that met often. They relied on my nursing knowledge to help enforce policies and decide the best way to keep our students safe.” Morris said Jaskovic’s medical knowledge was an important tool for the workgroup. “She was very vital as we tried to navigate the pandemic because she understood the science and was able to bring a critical health perspective when creating policies. She could be guaranteed to remain levelheaded and positive throughout the entire ordeal all while remaining consistent,” Morris said. Following the students’ fulltime return to campus in August 2020, following the protocols and advice of the COVID workgroup, including Jaskovic’s advice, helped the school avoid a virus outbreak on campus. ASMSA had zero cases on campus during the 2020-2021 school year. In such a highstress situation, Jaskovic tried to make her office even more of a safe space for students who needed advice or someone just to listen. “I am definitely a sounding board for a lot of students,” Jaskovic Nurse Monica Jaskovic demonstrates the proper technique for chest compressions during a CPR training session. Students are required by the state to take a CPR class as a graduation requirement. said. “Students come to me often wanting advice or suggestions and sometimes just to vent. I try to make my office a safe and comfortable space for students to be honest and not feel judged.” Having that kind of contact with students also helps Jaskovic play a key role in two other campus areas — helping students’ receive mental health care if needed and serving on the campus Strategies Team. “I am frequently the first contact for some students who may be facing a mental health issue,” Jaskovic

Amy Hoang (‘22) received national recognition in this year’s National Center for Women and Information Technology Award for Aspirations in Computing.

4 students earn NCWIT recognition

Four ASMSA students received recognition in the National Center for Women and Information Technology Award for Aspirations in Computing.

Amy Hoang (’22) earned a National Certifi cate of Distinction in addition to being recognized on the regional level in this year’s program. Three other students —Ash Hong (’22), Vicky Zhu (’23) and Nasya Choy (’24)— received recognition as Regional Affi liate Winners for Arkansas.

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors ninth- through 12th-grade women, genderqueer and non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests while encouraging them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.

National Certifi cate of Distinction awardees are students who merit recognition and entry into the Aspirations in Computing community, according to the organization’s website. National award winners are selected by the NCWIT and Bank America representatives. Regional Affi liate winners are students who have signifi cantly demonstrated interest and aptitude for computing. Regional awards are made by each individual affi liate.

Hoang said being recognized as a female is empowering because it can show others that they can pursue a fi eld that isn’t just male-dominated.

“I was really shocked when I found out that I was recognized on a national and state level because I had more experience with statistical analyses rather than coding,” Hoang said.

Hoang plans to major in nursing at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville this fall. She said her computing, data and statistics experience while during research will help her better understand the use of technology in her fi eld in the future. said. “I speak with our mental health professionals often and contact them with any needs that arise. They are always ready to respond.”

Staci Stich, who serves as a licensed mental health counselor on campus, said Jaskovic’s knowledge of the students is vital in helping her and Maddisyn Karn, ASMSA’s licensed social worker, provide needed services for students.

“Monica, Maddisyn and I work closely together to keep each other informed about how students are doing,” Stich said. “Monica often refers students to us as they often go to her fi rst identifying symptoms they are having. Sometimes it is easier for a student to identify a physical health issue that then Monica can see relates to mental health issues.

“Monica knows every single student and knows them well. Students are aware of how sincere she is in caring about them. She not only uses her medical expertise but also life knowledge in working with these students.”

That knowledge is important information for members of the Strategies Team as well. The committee meets weekly and discusses issues students in general may be having — academic, physically, mentally — as well as specifi c students who may need various members of the committee to intervene.

On the academic side, the committee includes the dean of academic aff airs, associate dean for college counseling and the student success coordinators. The dean of students as well as the mental health staff and Jaskovic represent the Residential Life component.

Morris said Jaskovic plays a vital role on the committee as students’ health issues can adversely aff ect their time and experience at ASMSA.

“Actions or inactions that cause academic concerns are often traced back to the student’s physical or mental well-being,” Morris said. “She can give insight on whether a student’s behavior or the way they carry themselves is due to a medication change, new medication or weaning from a medication. She can also note changes in behavior and contact parents.”

Stich agreed with Morris about Jaskovic’s role on the Strategies Team.

“She has a lot of direct contact with students and a lot of contact with parents as well. She often has information for the Strategies Team that helps us see a better picture of what is really going on with a student,” Stich said.

Jaskovic said being able to help students in any way possible is what drew her to become a school nurse.

“I have always enjoyed being able to help people in any way I can. I became a school nurse to be able to help students in our community. A school nurse is often the fi rst contact and only resource some students may have. The best part of working with students at ASMSA is watching them grow into responsible independent adults,” she said.