NEST 529 College Savings Plan Surprises Two Omaha Students with $1,000 Scholarships

First National, Treasurer Stenberg Celebrate ‘Teach Children to Save’ at Standing Bear Elementary

Carly Brennan, left, and Tierney Carman with Standing Bear Elementary School guests. From left, modern-day Ben Franklin, Alec Gorynski of First National Bank, State Treasurer Don Stenberg, and Joanna Swanson of First National Bank.Standing Bear Elementary School Principal Lynnette Keyes welcomes guests.More than 100 fourth graders listened attentively as Ben Franklin, portrayed by Council Bluffs CPA David Overholtzer, quizzed them on the definition of money, early bartering practices, wants and needs, and how to manage money.Fourth graders tell Ben about the pros and cons of using their money to buy a bike.Standing Bear Elementary students show off their backpacks from First National Bank, program manager for the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST 529).Fourth graders check their backpacks for a gold bar. Two lucky students found gold bars in their backpacks and received NEST 529 college savings accounts.The very moment Carly Brennan, pink shirt, and Tierney Carman, aqua shirt, discover they are winners.Tierney Carman tells TV reporters about the surprise of finding the $1,000 NEST account in her backpack. She said her mother has already set up glass jars for Tierney and her older sister to use to save money for college.Carly Brennan, left, and Tierney Carman, who each won a $1,000 NEST account, with Treasurer Stenberg.
  • April 23, 2018
  • Omaha, Neb.

First National Bank of Omaha representatives and Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg visited Standing Bear Elementary School in Omaha today to teach students about the importance of saving and awarded $1,000 scholarships to two students. The event was part of the annual Teach Children to Save Day.

Alec Gorynski, Vice President of Community Development and Corporate Philanthropy, First National Bank of Omaha, and Treasurer Stenberg spoke to the students about the importance of saving for the future. The presentation also included a Ben Franklin character, who helped educate and raise awareness of the importance of financial planning.

To cap off the event, Joanna Swanson, Head of Direct Sales, First National Bank of Omaha, presented students with NEST529 backpacks filled with financial education materials. Two students—TK and TK—were surprised to find that each of their backpacks contained a $1,000 contribution to a NEST 529 College Savings Plan account, provided by First National Bank of Omaha, NEST 529’s Program Manager.  

“Life is filled with expenses, from the everyday costs of basic necessities to the costs associated with a higher education. That is why it is important to educate children early on about budgeting and managing money to set them up for a lifetime of financial success,” said Treasurer Stenberg, Trustee of NEST 529.

“We hope that today’s event will be the first of many financial conversations for these children and will help guide them as they begin their journey toward financial literacy and stability,” said Deborah Goodkin, Managing Director, Savings Plans, First National Bank of Omaha. “We are proud to award $1,000 contributions to TK and TK today, putting them one step closer toward their future successes and achievements as fiscally responsible individuals.” 

Created in 1997 by the American Bankers Association, Teach Children to Save is a national program that encourages bank volunteers to help young people develop savings habits. Financial education is a key piece of First National Bank of Omaha’s commitment to community development, and the bank has historically been active in Teach Children to Save Day.

About NEST 529

NEST 529 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 297,000 accounts, including over 97,000 Nebraskans. 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.