MONROE - The students who make up the forensic accounting team at Monroe High School had an edge at this year's competition: proximity to the subject matter. That edge helped them earn first place for the first time in the three years MHS has competed in forensic accounting.
"They worked very, very hard," said Sherri Hendrickson, the team's advisor. "Their facts were accurate, they gave a great presentation. They have to be able to answer questions, and they nailed the questions every time."
In the competition, students study a real-life case of white-collar crime, analyzing how it happened and what could prevent it from happening again.
This year's subject? The embezzlement of more than $50 million over 22 years from the city of Dixon, Illinois, by comptroller Rita Crundwell.
When they heard the fraud case occurred so close to Monroe, the team decided to travel to Dixon as part of its research. Team members were able to interview some of the people involved in the case, including the whistleblower who exposed Crundwell.
The trip may have helped them in the competition, but Hendrickson insists that it's not why they won.
"Even though we did have an advantage of being close to Dixon, their hard work, their dedication, their effort, their enthusiasm, their willingness to work on a Sunday afternoon" earned them first place, she said.
The competition was held in early March at Lakeland College in Sheboygan, according to Terri Montgomery, the district's director of curriculum and instruction. Monroe competed against 17 teams from 15 other schools.
The five students who gave the winning presentation - and are also taking a college accounting course - are Gwendolyn Ambrose, Kevin Lewis, Kira Briggs, Amber Jenson and Monica Sefcik. Other Monroe students helped out "behind the scenes" with research, said Business Administrator Ron Olson.
Monroe earned second place the last two years.
The team performed their presentation for the school board at a meeting April 27.
"They worked very, very hard," said Sherri Hendrickson, the team's advisor. "Their facts were accurate, they gave a great presentation. They have to be able to answer questions, and they nailed the questions every time."
In the competition, students study a real-life case of white-collar crime, analyzing how it happened and what could prevent it from happening again.
This year's subject? The embezzlement of more than $50 million over 22 years from the city of Dixon, Illinois, by comptroller Rita Crundwell.
When they heard the fraud case occurred so close to Monroe, the team decided to travel to Dixon as part of its research. Team members were able to interview some of the people involved in the case, including the whistleblower who exposed Crundwell.
The trip may have helped them in the competition, but Hendrickson insists that it's not why they won.
"Even though we did have an advantage of being close to Dixon, their hard work, their dedication, their effort, their enthusiasm, their willingness to work on a Sunday afternoon" earned them first place, she said.
The competition was held in early March at Lakeland College in Sheboygan, according to Terri Montgomery, the district's director of curriculum and instruction. Monroe competed against 17 teams from 15 other schools.
The five students who gave the winning presentation - and are also taking a college accounting course - are Gwendolyn Ambrose, Kevin Lewis, Kira Briggs, Amber Jenson and Monica Sefcik. Other Monroe students helped out "behind the scenes" with research, said Business Administrator Ron Olson.
Monroe earned second place the last two years.
The team performed their presentation for the school board at a meeting April 27.