First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) and Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg announced the scholarship winners for the NEST on the Farm scholarship contest today at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island, NE. The three first place winners each received a $5,000 NEST (Nebraska Educational Savings Trust) scholarship sponsored by First National Bank of Omaha.
The contest was announced in late June and ran through August 5, 2011. It was open to children of Nebraska farmers. Each contestant was required to write and submit an essay describing how growing up as part of a farming family in Nebraska impacts his or her goals for higher education. All entries were divided into three age groups: 7-9 years of age; 10-11 years of age; and 12-13 years of age. The scholarship winners, as well as first and second runners up, for each age group are listed below:
“We are thrilled by the response we received from the NEST on the Farm scholarship contest,” said Clark Lauritzen, Executive Vice President, Corporate, Wealth, and Investments, First National Bank of Omaha. “We have a longstanding commitment to the agricultural industry and we are proud to be able to provide the well deserving contest winners with a head start on saving for higher education. I would like to congratulate each of them for a job well done.”
"The children's essays were genuine and heartfelt, and they conveyed a real appreciation for farm life and the role of agriculture in our state. We congratulate all those who participated, and we thank them for their commitment to continue the tradition set by their parents, grandparents, and greatgrandparents." said Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg. He also complimented the children for their desire to pursue higher education and to use their future knowledge and experiences to better their home communities and their state.
Additional NEST scholarship opportunities are planned for the remainder of 2011, including the recently announced “Draw Your Dreams” scholarship contest sponsored by First National Bank of Omaha. For more information, visit www.NEST529.com or www.treasurer.org.
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.
About First National Bank of Omaha
First National Bank of Omaha is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. First National of Nebraska and its affiliates have more than $23 billion in assets and 5,000 employee associates. Primary banking offices are located in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas.
