Twelve winners have been chosen out of a record 1,051 entries in the 2011 College Savings Program essay contest sponsored by the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office and the Omaha Storm Chasers baseball team.
Seventh and eighth grade students from Nebraska and across the United States were invited to submit essays addressing the theme, “Why I Want to Go to College.” The essays were judged by faculty and students in the College of Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha with final selections made by State Treasurer Don Stenberg.
Treasurer Stenberg congratulated the winners and thanked all the students who participated, saying he hopes many of this year’s seventh graders will enter the contest again next year and will encourage their friends, classmates, and younger siblings to do the same.
“The students’ reasons for going to college ranged from their desire to earn comfortable incomes in professions they would enjoy to their need to become independent and self-sufficient and find their place in the world,” Stenberg said. “The essays expressed the students’ hopes and dreams for lives of professional success and community service. Some talked about specific career plans, while others expressed their belief that college was a time to explore many career fields and find what best suits their interests and their strengths,” he said.
Here’s what first-place winners said about why they want to go to college:
Essay contest organizers were thrilled with this year’s response to the contest, which typically draws 400 to 700 entries. They attribute the record number of entries to the availability of promotional materials in branches of First National Bank of Omaha and its affiliates, the College Savings Program manager, and enhanced promotional efforts on social media outlets including Facebook.
Winners were selected from each of Nebraska’s three U.S. Congressional Districts and from entries received from outside Nebraska. First-place winners receive $1,000 each toward a Nebraska College Savings plan and a night’s stay in an Omaha area hotel; second-place winners receive $500 each toward a College Savings plan; and third-place winners receive $300 each toward a College Savings plan. All Nebraska winners also receive tickets to the May 22 Storm Chasers Minor League baseball game at the new Werner Park in Papillion as guests of State Treasurer Stenberg.
The winners are as follows:
1st Congressional District
| First: | Lauren Foss | Gretna Middle School | Gretna, NE |
| Second: | Devon Torskey | Platteview Central Junior High | Springfield, NE |
| Third: | Abbey Patera | Platteview Central Junior High | Springfield, NE |
2nd Congressional District
| First: | Emmy Niroula | Morton Magnet School | Omaha, NE |
| Second: | Nicholas Swoboda | St. Philip Neri School | Omaha, NE |
| Third: | Carson Guy | Alice Buffett Magnet School | Omaha, NE |
3rd Congressional District
| First: | Erin Bown | Sidney Middle School | Sidney, NE |
| Second: | Katie Ruth | Adams Central Junior High | Hastings, NE |
| Third: | Emma Cox | St. Patrick’s Junior High | North Platte, NE |
Out-of-State
| First: | Elisabeth Werries | Triopia Junior High School | Chapin, IL |
| Second: | Neha Haque | Pleasant Valley Junior High | LeClaire, IA |
| Third: | Luke Eckstein | St. Aloysius School | Vicksburg, MS |
The Nebraska College Savings Program provides four qualified tuition plans under Section 529 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The four plans in the Nebraska Educational Savings Plan Trust are the NEST Direct College Savings Plan, the NEST Advisor College Savings Plan, the TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan, and the State Farm College Savings Plan. The Nebraska State Treasurer is the Program Trustee, and First National Bank of Omaha is the Program Manager. Investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council.
“Families can easily save for their children’s college educations through the Nebraska program,” Stenberg said. Plans allow for tax-free investments, and qualified withdrawals are federal and state income tax free. Account owners qualify for up to $5,000 a year in state income tax deductions.*
*Account owners who are Nebraska taxpayers: your contributions up to $5,000 ($2,500 if married filing separately) are deductible in computing your Nebraska state income tax.
About NEST
NEST is a tax-advantaged 529 college savings plan and provides four plans to help make saving for college simple and affordable: NEST Direct College Savings Plan, the NEST Advisor College Savings Plan, the Bloomwell 529 Education Savings Plan, and the State Farm 529 Savings Plan. The Nebraska State Treasurer serves as Program Trustee. Union Bank & Trust Company serves as Program Manager, and all investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. Families nationwide are saving for college using Nebraska’s 529 College Savings Plans, which have more than 285,000 accounts, including over 94,000 in Nebraska. Visit NEST529.com and treasurer.nebraska.gov for more information.
