Three “would-be” student millionaires were recognized for their poster artistry at a State House ceremony in Montpelier today. The student artwork included a deer sporting a money belt, a wise owl contemplating his finances, and a young Vermont entrepreneur making it big with his own skateboard company. While the artwork was varied, the message wasn’t—saving and planning for your future can pay you big bucks. The student posters were designed around the theme: “I’m going to be a millionaire because I …” State winners in three grade divisions were recognized as part of a celebration of April as Financial Literacy for Youth month. The State Treasurer’s Office, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of New Hampshire and Vermont, and the Vermont Bankers Association sponsored the contest as a way to promote financial education for youth. The statewide competition was part of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s (NFCC) annual national poster competition.
The winner of the elementary school division was Lindsay Appleton, a 5th grade student at Reading Elementary School. Her poster also was selected by the NFCC as the national runner-up to the elementary school grade category winner. Lindsay’s poster pictured a deer in a money belt in a sunny Vermont field under the heading, “I’m going to be a millionaire because I save my bucks.”
The middle school division was won by 8th grade student Brittany Hoyt from the Williston Central School. Her poster featured an owl in a tree proclaiming that, “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” and listed ways to make dollars grow.
Jacob Alan Leete, a junior attending the River Bend Technical Center, was this year’s high school division winner. His poster portrayed a young man with an array of designer skateboards and the statement, “I am going to own my own skateboard company.”
A proclamation by Governor Jim Douglas designating April as Financial Literacy for Youth Month also was presented as part of the ceremony. Gregg Mousley, the President of the Vermont Jump$tart Coalition, said the proclamation and such events as the poster competition reinforce the importance of financial literacy for youth.
