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For immediate release: Monday, April 16, 2007
For more information: Leonore Friez, Investor Education Specialist
Division of Securities, (605) 773-4823
Winners Announced in State Securities Division Essay Contest
(PIERRE, SD) – Seniors from seven South Dakota high schools have been named cash prize winners in an essay contest coordinated by the South Dakota Department of Revenue and Regulation, Division of Securities.
“How to Create Financial Independence by Understanding Five Principles of Investing” was the theme of the investor education and protection initiative which invited South Dakota high school seniors to submit a five-page essay to win cash prizes of up to $5,000. Receiving their prizes today during an awards ceremony at the State Capitol in Pierre were:
· First Place: Catherine Graves, $5,000, Mitchell High School, and Gabriel Gregg, $5,000, Highmore High School
· Second Place: Kelcey Beaner, $3,000, West Central High School, Hartford, and Kyanna Guindon, $3,000, Plankinton High School
· Third Place: Lauren Wheeting, $2,000, Groton Area High School, and Kyle Buckmiller, $2,000, West Central High School, Hartford
· Fourth Place: Nick Kellen, $1,000, Sioux Falls O’Gorman, and Chris Fitch, $1,000, Sioux Falls Roosevelt
The Division of Securities received 215 entries in the contest, which began last fall and ended Jan. 16, 2007. Essays were judged on their content and placed in one of four levels. When all papers were categorized, division officials randomly selected two winners from each level.
In addition to submitting an essay, students also had to be sponsored by a teacher from their high school. Educators sponsoring the winning students received cash prizes up to $500 with the teacher sponsoring the most senior student essays also winning $500. One teacher was also randomly drawn to win $500. Educators honored during today’s ceremony were:
· Debra Everson, $500, Mitchell High School, and Jackie Knox, $500, Highmore High School for sponsoring first place winners
· JoAnne Bohl, $300, West Central High School, Hartford, and Todd Karst, $300, Plankinton High School for sponsoring second place winners
· Marsha Braun, $200, Groton Area High School, and Darrel Horacek, $200, West Central High School, Hartford for sponsoring third place winners
· Jane Bradfield, $100, Sioux Falls O’Gorman, and Dr. Laura Raeder, $100, Sioux Falls Roosevelt for sponsoring fourth place winners. Dr. Raeder also received $500 for sponsoring the most entries.
· Heather Tobin, Centerville High School, was the teacher randomly chosen to receive a cash prize of $500.
The essay contest was funded by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust (IPT), a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education. Since 1993, the IPT has worked with states to provide independent, objective investor education all Americans can use to make informed investment decisions. For more information, visit www.investorprotection.org.
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