Two El Dorado High School and Extend JAG-K students competed at the state CDC competition in Wichita on Mar. 10, 2026. Jada Brown competed in Career Preparation and Brooklyn Knight placed fourth in Financial Budget.
The Financial Budget competition required students to calculate how much they would need to save for college to cover the cost of college tuition and books, housing, groceries, toiletries, transportation, insurance, and entertainment. Of the 16 contestants in the this competition, Knight was the only one who also included different life scenarios that could negatively impact her budget.
“I learned that everything costs so much more than I thought,” Knight said.
Public speaking is not in Knight’s comfort zone. She says she does not like talking to people she does not already know, but this was a great growth opportunity for her. Encouragement from her peers ultimately gave her the courage to rise to the occasion.
Now, she has encouragement for her others who may have anxiety about public speaking.
“Try it at least once,” Knight said. “There is no way I would have tried this event last year, but now I can present in front of adults.”