State Treasurer Announces Winners of the "Why I Want to go to College" Essay Contest

State Treasurer Ron Ross, along with the Omaha Royals Baseball Club, are pleased to announce that nine 7th and 8th grade students from across the state will receive a college savings account for their efforts in the 3rd annual "Why I Want to Go to College" essay contest. "We want the young people of this state to be able to realize the dream of attending the college of their choice. The best way to do that is to work hard and start saving at a young age," said Treasurer Ross. The intent of the essay was for the student to recognize the importance of a college education and what they hope to achieve in life through education. Approximately 400 7th and 8th grade students participated in this year's contest. Each of the three Nebraska Congressional Districts was awarded a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner. "All of the essays submitted were outstanding. Every student who participated can be very proud of their entry," stated Treasurer Ross. The winners of the essay contest are:

1st Place: $1,000 towards one of Nebraska's College Savings Plans
District 1	Heather Wheatley	Palmyra Jr. High	Palmyra
District 2	Rachel Gehringer-Wiar	Andersen Middle School	Millard
District 3	Kayleigh Koester	Deshler Jr. High	Deshler

2nd Place: $500 towards one of Nebraska's College Savings Plans
District 1	Natalie Johnson	Oakland-Craig Jr. High	Oakland
District 2	Kristin Maca	Valley Middle School	Valley
District 3	Kierra Ochs	St. Patrick's Jr. High	North Platte

3rd Place: $300 towards one of Nebraska's College Savings Plans
District 1	Marisol Herling	Clarkson Jr. High	Clarkson
District 2	Jared Baxter	King Science/Tech. Magnet	Omaha
District 3	Beau Sedlacek	St. Patrick's Jr. High	North Platte

In addition, each winner receives four tickets to the Nebraska vs. Creighton game on Tuesday, May 10 at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium. During the game, each winner will be recognized for his or her achievement. The winners will also receive four Henry Doorly Zoo passes. 1st Place winners will be treated to a one night stay at one of the Omaha area's premier hotels. Prizes are courtesy of the Omaha Royals and Nebraska State Treasurer's Office.

Nebraska's college savings plans are an excellent investment option allowing parents and grandparents the ability to save for college with tax savings advantages at both the State and Federal level. The savings can be applied to a number of public, private or religious schools nationwide. Since the inception of the program in January 2001, more than $1 Billion has been invested in over 115,000 accounts.

The college savings program is administered by the Nebraska State Treasurer and Union Bank and Trust Company serves as the program manager. There are four plans within Nebraska's Educational Savings Plan Trust - the College Savings Plan of Nebraska, TD Waterhouse, the AIM College Savings Plan and the State Farm College Savings Plan. For more information, contact Rachel Rezabek at 402-471-2455.

The Omaha Royals are the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. In 2004, over 318,000 fans watched Royals baseball last summer making it by far the number one attended sport in Omaha again. Seventy-two home games are scheduled for 2005. For more information about the Omaha Royals, please log on to www.oroyals.com.