Distance learning helps a Filipino student win the 115th FedEx Express/JA International Trade Challenge

COVID-19 has reshaped the educational system around the world as it transitioned from in-person classes to virtual learning. Students have had to overcome distractions at home, deal with connectivity issues, and learn to stay motivated despite the lack of physical interaction with teachers and schoolmates.   

But Princess Gurrea has proven that learning is not confined to a classroom and that online platforms such as FedEx JA International Trade Challenge, a global competition that nurtures the entrepreneurial spirit and business skills of young students, provide opportunities to expand one’s horizon. Princess is one of the grand prize winners in the recently concluded 15^th edition of the competition.

For the second consecutive year, the FedEx/JA International Trade Challenge was held virtually due to the pandemic, and included workshops and sessions led by APAC industry experts and mentors from FedEx who volunteered their time. All the virtual activities and collaborations that Princess attended with her fellow innovators helped her and her partner, Chaerin Park from South Korea, conceptualize the market strategy that won them the grand prize. Their innovative idea for Seed Link Greeting Cards, a product designed to connect families and comfort the elderly during this pandemic, impressed the judges.

Promising Future for Asian Entrepreneurship as the Winners of the 14th Annual FedEx / JA International Trade Challenge Competition Announced

Winners of the FedEx Express/JA International Trade Challenge 2020-21 Asia Pacific Finals

52 of the Region’s Brightest Students compete at the FedEx Express/JA International Trade Challenge Asia Pacific Competition

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, together with Junior Achievement (JA) Asia Pacific, announced the student winners of the 2020-2021 edition of its annual FedEx Express / JA International Trade Challenge (ITC) Asia Pacific Competition. The students presented their ideas during three days of intense competition in front of a panel of the region’s business leaders. This year, student teams of two were tasked with creating a market entry strategy for a mental wellbeing product in South Africa. The winning team was The Breakfast Club comprising Chloe Jazzy Lau from Hong Kong SAR and Aljo Benedicto from the Philippines for their idea to create a biometrics sensor powered by a smart app to detect anxiety attacks.

The winners won out of a group of 52 high school student finalists representing nine Asia Pacific markets (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam) competing in the event. The FedEx / JA ITC competition was held entirely virtually for the first time in its 14-year history due to the ongoing pandemic. The finalists had already won through local market competitions fending off more than 2,900 other aspiring student innovators.

“We are both honored to be named the winners of the competition. It’s so exciting! Every stage of the competition has been a fantastic challenge for us, especially in the finals. All of the ideas were so strong and we learnt volumes from this experience,” said The Breakfast Club team members. “We really feel inspired to follow a career in business right now.”