Greencastle students earn money for college in contest

Hoosier students -- including two Greencastle high schoolers -- are being rewarded for planning how they will pay for education beyond high school.

Learn More Indiana, an outreach initiative led by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, is awarding 13 students -- one in each grade from kindergarten through high school seniors -- with $529 in an Indiana College Choice 529 Savings Plan.

Greencastle High School sophomore Mallary Meyer and junior Rebecca Moore are among the 13 students announced as winners.

The students participated in a statewide "Cash for College" contest this spring which asked them to describe how they're planning to pay for their future.

"We are pleased that so many students entered this contest and expressed their plans to pay for college success with excitement and creativity," Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers said.

The Cash for College contest required students at each grade level to complete an age-appropriate activity, including elementary students drawing a picture depicting how they will save for college and middle and high school students completing an essay.

The 529 plans can be used for tuition, books and other college-related expenses.

Winning students include:

-- Kindergarten: Morgan Rakestraw from Wallace School of Integrated Arts (Kokomo School Corporation).

-- First Grade: Kian Perry from White Lick Elementary (Brownsburg Community School Corporation).

-- Second Grade: Lilyan Murphy from West Noble Elementary School (West Noble School Corporation).

-- Third Grade: Nick Gilmore from Springs Valley Elementary (Springs Valley Community Schools).

-- Fourth Grade: Lukas Wroblewski from Dixie Bee Elementary (Vigo County School Corporation).

-- Fifth Grade: Greta Hanjorgiris from Bradie Shrum Upper Elementary (Salem Community Schools).

-- Sixth Grade: Isaiah Henderson Jr. from Merrillville Intermediate School (Merrillville Community School Corporation).

-- Seventh Grade: Benjamin Bontrager-Singer from Goshen Middle School (Goshen Community Schools).

-- Eighth Grade: Gretchen Brown from Washington Junior High (Washington Community Schools).

-- Ninth Grade: Erik Lakomek from Hanover Central High School (Hanover Community School Corporation).

-- Tenth Grade: Mallary Meyer from Greencastle High School (Greencastle Community School Corporation).

-- Eleventh Grade: Rebecca Moore from Greencastle High School (Greencastle Community School Corporation).

-- Twelfth Grade: Amy Todd from Eastern Greene High School (Eastern Greene Schools).