For the first time in Amazing Shake history, a 5th-grade student, Jasmine Stewart, won the competition.
After competing with the entire school in Round 1, interacting with 50 executives from all around Atlanta, Stewart moved on to “working a room” full of executives at EarthLink, then to participating in a surprise presidential debate at Atlanta City Hall. There, she along with the rest of the top 18 competitors discussed and debated immigration, social injustices, economic policies, and more. She then, as part of the top 12, made it through giving an extemporaneous gubernatorial address amidst a crowd of angry protesters, where Lt. Governor Casey Cagle decided the top 7. Those students were 8th-graders Niles Boyd, Immanual Mitchell, Justin Polynice, Jacob Suever and Kaitlin Britton-Wheeler; 7th-grader Mason Calhoun; and Stewart.
The top 7 were then whisked off to New York City for the 5th round of the competition, which took place the next day. During this round, the students engaged America in a live Periscope broadcast with secret voters, interviewed with actor and philanthropist Dr. Hill Harper, and answered tough corporate strategy questions from VH1 Senior Vice President CaraleneRobinson. Then, the top 2, Stewart and Calhoun, were interviewed by CNN’s Don Lemon, who went on to name Stewart as the 2016 Amazing Shake champion.
The annual Amazing Shake contest allows RCA to test students on professional skills, such as the mechanics of giving a proper handshake, as well as being able to present themselves exceptionally well for opportunities today as well as in the future. The competition consists of case-scenario stations set up around the school and throughout the city that every student must pass through, exercising etiquette and the perfect handshake. Top performers advance to the next level of challenges until ultimately there is one overall winner.
Watch the Ron Clark Academy’s Amazing Shake on 11Alive News.
