KnowHow2GOWisconsin/EdVest Video Contest award winners announced

MADISON— Alexander Siy, a middle school student from Brookfield, is the winner of the inaugural KnowHow2GOWisconsin/EdVest Video Contest. Siy, whose video includes an original song composed by the eighth-grader, will receive an EdVest scholarship of $1,000.

Micole and Megan Gauvin from Beloit, the contest’s second place winners, will each receive EdVest scholarships of $500.

Third place winners Shyla Cummings and Leah and Emma Harvey, all from Endeavor, will each receive $500 EdVest scholarships.

Launched in honor of Wisconsin Higher Education Day, the video contest asked students throughout the state to create videos dramatizing one of the KnowHow2GOWisconsin “Four Steps” to college:

1. Be a pain – Tell everyone you know that you’re going to college and need their help;
2. Push yourself – Study hard and get good grades;
3. Find the right fit – Find out what kind of school is the best match for you and your career goals; and,
4. Put your hands on some cash– If you think you can’t afford college, think again. There’s lots of aid out there.

More than 70 students from 22 cities in Wisconsin participated in the contest.

The winning videos will be unveiled at the UW System Board of Regents meeting on Friday, February 6, at 9 a.m. At that time, State Treasurer Dawn Sass will present the winners with their scholarship awards.

The videos will be available for viewing at KnowHow2GOWisconsin.org, the Higher Education Day website on February 6.

Started in November 2007, KnowHow2GOWisconsin aims to turn students’ college dreams into action by providing the resources they need to succeed in their paths to postsecondary education. KnowHow2GOWisconsin is a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the University of Wisconsin System, the Wisconsin Technical College System, and the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Additional campaign partners include the Office of the Wisconsin Covenant, Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corp., UW HELP, and the Wisconsin Higher Education Aids Board.

EdVest, Wisconsin’s official college savings program, helps families across the state invest for one of their most important financial goals – their children’s education.  The program is administered by the Wisconsin Office of the State Treasurer and is managed by Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC.  The EdVest plan provides a flexible yet structured way to save for future higher education expenses. Participating in the program can help put parents in a better position to choose the best school for a student, while minimizing loans and student debt. These plans also provide important state and federal tax benefits.

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