Winners in the 2011 College Savings Program essay contest were recognized Sunday (May 22) at Werner Park in Papillion at the start of the Omaha Storm Chasers game with the Las Vegas 51s.
The Storm Chasers lost 11-7 in the fourth and final game of the weekend series.
The essay contest winners, standing near home plate, were introduced to the baseball crowd over the loudspeaker, and each received a congratulatory handshake and certificate from State Treasurer Don Stenberg. The annual essay contest associated with the Nebraska College Savings Program is sponsored by the State Treasurer’s Office and the Storm Chasers. The theme of this year’s contest was “Why I Want to Go to College.”
Winners were selected from each of Nebraska’s three U.S. Congressional districts and from entries from outside Nebraska. First-place winners received $1,000 each toward a Nebraska College Savings plan and a night’s stay in an Omaha-area hotel; second-place winners received $500 each toward a College Savings plan, and third-place winners received $300 each toward a College Savings plan.
The winners are as follows:
| First Place | |||
| 1st District | Lauren Foss | Gretna Middle School | Gretna |
| 2nd District | Emmy Niroula | Morton Magnet School | Omaha |
| 3rd District | Erin Bown | Sidney Middle School | Sidney |
| Out of State | Elisabeth Werries | Triopia Junior High School | Chapin, IL |
| Second Place | |||
| 1st District | Devon Torskey | Platteview Central Junior High | Springfield |
| 2nd District | Nicholas Swoboda | St. Philip Neri School | Omaha |
| 3rd District | Katie Ruth | Adams Central Junior High | Hastings |
| Out of State | Neha Haque | Pleasant Valley Junior High | LeClaire, IA |
| Third Place | |||
| 1st District | Abbey Patera | Platteview Central Junior High | Springfield |
| 2nd District | Carson Guy | Alice Buffett Magnet School | Omaha |
| 3rd District | Emma Cox | St. Patrick’s Junior High | North Platte |
| Out of State | Luke Eckstein | St. Aloysius School | Vicksburg, MS |
Details about next year’s essay contest will be available on the State Treasurer’s website at www.treasurer.org and through local schools in February 2012; the deadline will again be in April. Photographs from this year’s events can be viewed at www.treasurer.org. Click on Photo Gallery on the left navigational pane or on the College Savings Program tab.
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.
