PHOENIX, AZ – Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee honored 20 Arizona fifth and sixth grade students as winners of the fourth-annual AZ529 Essay Writing Contest. The 20 winners represent different schools among district, charter, private, Bureau of Indian Education and homeschools, representing all of Arizona’s 15 counties.
AZ529, Arizona’s Education Savings Plan together with the Arizona State Treasurer’s Office asked Arizona fifth and sixth graders: “What Is Your Dream Job and How Do You Plan on Achieving It in the Future?” The winners were selected from 886 essay entries, up from 631 during last year’s essay writing contest. The essays were reviewed by a panel of judges and scored based on the ideas, organization and originality of the content provided.
“This year’s contest reached every corner of our great state to emphasize that Arizona students are planning for their future education and dream careers. It was inspiring to meet these ambitious student winners today and recognize that they are the future of our state,” said Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. “Each of the winners has been awarded $529 in an AZ529 savings account to advance their education and achieve their desired careers.”
The winners received $529 towards a new or existing AZ529 Education Savings Plan. The amount $529 was selected to pay homage to Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, which created the AZ529 plan. The funds may be used for future educational expenses such as tuition for college, trade schools, or workforce development training.
“We received 886 essays from across the state, all of which highlighted the dreams and aspirations of Arizona’s next generation,” said Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. “As I have traveled across Arizona to share about the AZ529 Education Savings Plan, I am inspired that families are seeing the endless opportunities for children and their future when they set aside a savings plan for their education.”
The AZ529 Education Savings Plan offers a tax-advantaged approach to setting money aside for college, community college, vocational training, trade school and other educational avenues for high school graduates. Arizona residents can receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax deduction for contributions made to an AZ529 account each year, of up to $2,000 per beneficiary or $4,000 per beneficiary depending on filing status. Funds earned over time will remain tax-free when used for a wide variety of covered educational expenses. Additionally, friends and family members may add to a child’s AZ529 Plan at any time and earn the same tax benefits for themselves. For more information about AZ529, visit http://www.az529.gov.
2023 AZ529 Essay Writing Contest Winners:
Apache County:
- Rush, 6th Grade, Alpine Elementary School
Cochise County:
- Aviah, 6th Grade, Homeschool
Coconino County:
- Janie, 6th Grade, Tuba City Boarding School
Gila County:
- Jonalynn, 5th Grade, Rice Intermediate School
Graham County:
- Ramina, 5th Grade, Bonita Elementary School
Greenlee County:
- Rachel, 5th Grade, Fairbanks Middle School
La Paz County:
- Aubrielle, 5th Grade, Ehrenberg Elementary School
Maricopa County:
- Aadhya, 5th Grade, New Vistas Center for Education
- Kash, 6th Grade, Desert Trails Elementary School
- Pardis, 5th Grade, BASIS Scottsdale
- Hannah, 5th Grade, Homeschool
- Elliott, 6th Grade, Madison Traditional Academy
Mohave County:
- Riley, 5th Grade, Mohave Accelerated Learning Center
Navajo County:
- Matthew, 6th Grade, Dishchii’bikoh Community School
Pima County:
- Rowan, 5th Grade, Sam Hughes Elementary School
- Bay, 6th Grade, Esperero Canyon Middle School
Pinal County
- Angelus, 6th Grade, Copper Basin K-8 School
Santa Cruz County
- Jessica, 5th Grade, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
Yavapai County
- Ethan, 6th Grade, Tri-City Preparatory
Yuma County
- Briella, 6th Grade, Desert View Middle School
To read the winning essays, visit http://www.az529.gov/essaycontest.
