News Release: Students Earn Financial Literacy Scholarships

On March 10 ^th , three students from Jobs for America’s Graduates – Kansas were announced as winners of the fifth annual financial literacy essay contest sponsored by the Securities Division of the Kansas Department of Insurance. 

The winners were selected by the office of Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, and the scholarships were presented during the awards ceremony of the annual state Career Development Conference, held at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita. The scholarship winners were: 

1 ^st  Place, $5,000: Eric Bustillos Andrade, Newton High School 

2 ^nd  Place, $3,000: Amiyah Beard, Newton High School 

3 ^rd  Place, $2,000: Collin Falloon, Beloit High School 

One of the responsibilities of any JAG-K program is education on sound financial management to its participants, many of whom come from low-income families. 

Students from across Kansas wrote essays to attempt to earn one of these prestigious scholarships. Last year, all three recipients of the scholarships hailed from Career Specialist Kylee Raigoza’s JAG-K program at Newton High School. This year, two more recipients were selected from her program.  

“I am so proud of my students that received the scholarships,” stated Raigoza. “We started talking about this early in the school year when the essay topic was released. We spent time researching the Kansas Insurance Commissioner’s website, where many students found useful information to include in their essays.”  

“Financial Literacy is so important at all ages, and I want my students to feel confident and in control of their finances so they can choose what lifestyle they want to live,” explained Raigoza. “By mastering budgeting, saving, and understanding credit early, students can reduce financial stress and set themselves up for independent living.” 

The Securities Division Works to protect Kansas citizens by promoting awareness of fraudulent activities and by assisting in identifying and prosecuting fraud. The Securities Division also partners with programs like JAG-K to support and promote financial literacy throughout the state.  

The Kansas Department of Insurance donated $25,000 to help support JAG-K’s efforts to teach important financial concepts to the students in the program. A portion of the donated funds were designated for a financial literacy essay contest in which the top three JAG-K student essays would split a share of $10,000 in scholarship funds. 

“Demonstrating financial literacy and investing fundamentals are at the heart of this essay competition, and I’m proud of all the students who participated and congratulate this year’s winners,” said Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. “More importantly, through JAG-K, students are learning to apply these skills in their own lives, empowering them to make informed decisions and build a strong foundation for lifelong success.” 

The three students from JAG-K will now have the chance to compete against winners from two other Kansas Organizations for the chance to win additional scholarship funds.  

Kansas’ 120 JAG-K programs serve more than 6,600 students in 54 school districts across the state. JAG-K Career Specialists help students graduate and learn career, leadership, and life skills by executing a nationally-accredited, evidence-based model. Participants must meet criteria to be selected for the program and have potential to overcome various barriers to post-secondary success. 

The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 36 different states and territories. It is primarily funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the State of Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). In addition to school districts and DCF, JAG-K partners with the Kansas Department of Education. Other JAG-K funding sources include ADM, AT&T, EagleU, Goldstein Charitable Trust, the JB and Anne Hodgdon Foundation, Honeywell, John Deere, Johnson County Community College, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Insurance Department, Mark One Electric, the Office of the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, United Way of Kaw Valley, United Way of the Plains, U.S. Bank and Walmart. 

To learn more about JAG-K, visit  www.jagkansas.org , or ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, X and LinkedIn. 

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