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STATE TREASURER NAPPIER ANNOUNCES 63 WINNERS OF 2014 CHET DREAM BIG! COMPETITION Three Students Win Top Prize of $1,000 CHET Contribution

HARTFORD, CT – The statewide CHET Dream Big! Competition, which asks students to share their dreams about life after college through drawings and essays, has selected 63 winners – including three $1,000 grand prize winners – from nearly 4,000 entries.

Aspiring doctors, police officers, teachers, charity workers and more participated in this year’s competition.  In addition to the three grand prize winners, who each will receive a $1,000 contribution to a CHET college savings account, 60 students from the State’s eight counties won $500 contributions.

The Dream Big! Competition, which ran from January 27 through March 26, 2014, is aimed at getting students to think early about college. It features two entry categories based on grade level.  Students from kindergarten to third grade submitted drawings expressing what they want to do after college. Students in fourth and fifth grade wrote an essay answering the question, “How will I change the world after college?”  Entries were judged based on five criteria: creativity, originality, portrayal of theme, spelling and grammar.

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The 3,954 entries, up from 2,300 entries in 2013, came from 132 of the State’s 169 municipalities.  The 63 winners hail from 38 different cities and towns across the state.

Prize Awarded to School with Highest Number of Entries

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This year’s competition also included school and teacher prizes. Vance Village School in New Britain submitted the highest number of entries on behalf of its students, with 239 students entering the Competition.  Vance won the Competition’s first ever top school prize of $500. 

A full list of student winners follows. Winning entries will be viewable at www.chetdreambig.com.

-Gurbeer Athwal, Shepherd Glen Elementary School, Hamden

-Elizabeth Atkins, Harwinton Consolidated School, Harwinton

-Nicholas Atkins, Harwinton Consolidated School, Harwinton

-Reid Babcock, Birch Grove Primary School, Tolland

-Jayden Bailey, Margaret M. Generali Elementary School, Waterbury

-Camille Barclay, Marvin Elementary School, Norwalk

-Tyler Burdick, North Stonington Elementary School, North Stonington

-Matthew Cardamone, St. Mary Magdalen School, Oakville

-Evan Carpenter, George Hersey Robertson School, Coventry

-Marcus Chederquist, Mohegan School, Uncasville

-Daniel Collier, Lordship Elementary School, Stratford

-Adelyn Cournoyer, Woodstock Elementary School, Woodstock

-Zakiya Deas, Alfred E. Burr Elementary School, Hartford

-Kemuel Delgado, John S. Martinez School. New Haven

-Rana Dest, Dorothy C. Goodwin Elementary School, Mansfield

-Olivia Dickinson, St. Mary - St. Joseph School, Willimantic

-Dylan Dzat, George Hersey Robertson School. Coventry

-Marian Echevarria, Alfred E. Burr Elementary School, Hartford

-Patrick Ferns, Sterling Community School, Sterling

-Katie Fortin, Woodstock Elementary School. Woodstock

-Aidan Fox, Algonquin School, Prospect

-Taina Garrett, Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School, New London

-Olivia Giuffria, West Woods Upper Elementary School, Farmington

-Ashley Gomez, Brookside Elementary School, Norwalk

-Moises Quintanilla, Park City Magnet School, Bridgeport

-Wesley G. Szollosy-Hallock, Sarah Noble Intermediate School

-Alen Hrustic, Naylor School, Hartford

-Aiden Keegan, Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School, Hartford

-Sophie Kulas, Brewster Elementary School, Durham

-Matthew Lara, Haddam Elementary School, Haddam

-Dean Lawrence, Woodstock Elementary School, Woodstock

-David Levanto, North Stonington Elementary School, North Stonington

-Brooke Lloyd, Haddam Elementary School, Haddam

-David Lops, Newfield Elementary School, Stamford

-Justin Luce, Anna E. Norris Elementary School, East Hartford

-Shawnayza Mason, Macdonough School, Middletown

-Maya Mastroianni, Long Meadow Elementary School, Middlebury

-Skyla Mcelhattan, Vance Village Elementary School, New Britain

-Ashlynn Miles, Lisbon Central School, Lisbon

-Yanzel Montalvo, Smalley Academy, New Britain

-Makendra  Mowad, St. Joseph School, Bristol

-Gus Nocera, Macdonough School, Middletown

-Katherine Park, Weston Intermediate School, Weston

-Sibora Qosja, Margaret M. Generali Elementary School, Waterbury

-Eva Ramos, Anna E. Norris Elementary School, East Hartford

-Randall James Rawcliffe, Woodstock Elementary School, Woodstock

-Angel Rivera, John S. Martinez School, New Haven

-Jessica Roy, Stafford Elementary School, Stafford

-Learra Ruggeri, Northeast Academy, Mystic

-Mannal Saleh, Smalley Academy, New Britain

-Mia Sanchez, Alcott Elementary School, Wolcott

-Isabelle Sarandrea, Polk Elementary School, Watertown

-Abby Scipio, Gaffney Elementary, New Britain

-Joseph Sheehan, Hindley Elementary School, Darien

-Chaz Simmons, Anna E. Norris Elementary School, East Hartford

-Liya Simon, Memorial Middle School, Middlefield

-Diana Sorto-Guzman, Madison Elementary School, Bridgeport

-Owen Staskelunas, Haddam Elementary School, Haddam

-Josephine Swinton, George Hersey Robertson School, Coventry

-Naiah Talbot, West Stafford Elementary School, Stafford Springs

-Alberto Velez, Gaffney Elementary School, New Britain

-A'zaria Womber, Polk Elementary School, Watertown

-Gavin Yu, Mohegan School, Uncasville

For more information about CHET, visit www.aboutchet.com or call the customer service center at (866) 314-3939. Find us on Facebook (facebook.com/CHETcollegesavings) or follow us on Twitter (@CHET529).




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