Desert Messenger

30 www.DesertMessenger.com November 15, 2023 Jim Walkington returns to Quartzsite! Saturday, January 27, 2024 Cost is $ 80 per dog. Location: Rainbow Acres, County 55 1/2 St. For appointment call Jim 480-215-1776 www.ViperVoidance.com HAVE YOUR DOG TRAINED TO AVOID RATTLESNAKES! Phoenix, AZ -Congratulations Eh- renberg Elementary student, Au- brielle Duenaz, who was among 20 winners of the AZ529 Dream, Write, Win Essay Contest. Aubrielle was honored Thursday, October 26 at 11 a.m. during a ceremony at the state capitol. State Treasurer Kimberly Yee presented her with a giant $529 check toward her future education. Aubrielle's essay was selected from among nearly 900 entries state- wide. She wants to be a chef. Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee honored 20 Arizona fi fth and sixth grade students as winners of the fourth-annual AZ529 Essay Writ- ing Contest. The 20 winners rep- resent different schools among district, charter, private, Bureau of Indian Education and home- schools, representing all of Arizo- na's 15 counties. AZ529, Arizona's Education Sav- ings Plan together with the Arizona State Treasurer's Offi ce asked Ari- Ehrenberg student honored at State Capitol zona fi fth and sixth graders: "What Is Your Dream Job and How Do You Plan on Achieving It in the Future?" The winners were selected from 886 essay entries, up from 631 dur- ing last year's essay writing contest. The essays were reviewed by a panel of judges and scored based on the ideas, organization and originality of the content provided. "This year's contest reached every corner of our great state to empha- size that Arizona students are plan- ning for their future education and dream careers. It was inspiring to meet these ambitious student win- ners today and recognize that they are the future of our state," said Ari- zona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. "Each of the winners has been awarded $529 in an AZ529 savings account to advance their education and achieve their desired careers." The winners received $529 towards a new or existing AZ529 Education Savings Plan. The amount $529 was selected to pay homage to Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, which created the AZ529 plan. The funds may be used for future educa- tional expenses such as tuition for college, trade schools, or workforce development training. "We received 886 essays from across the state, all of which high- lighted the dreams and aspirations of Arizona's next generation," said Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. "As I have traveled across Arizona to share about the AZ529 Educa- tion Savings Plan, I am inspired that families are seeing the endless opportunities for children and their future when they set aside a savings plan for their education." The AZ529 Education Savings Plan offers a tax-advantaged approach to setting money aside for college, community college, vocational training, trade school and other educational avenues for high school graduates. Arizona residents can receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax deduction for contributions made to an AZ529 account each year, of up to $2,000 per benefi ciary or $4,000 per benefi ciary depend- ing on fi ling status. Funds earned over time will remain tax-free when used for a wide variety of covered educational expenses. Additionally, friends and family members may add to a child's AZ529 Plan at any time and earn the same tax benefi ts for themselves. For more informa- tion about AZ529, visit http://www. az529.gov. 2023 AZ529 ESSAY WRITING CONTEST WINNERS: Apache County: Rush, 6th Grade, Alpine Elementary School Cochise County: Aviah, 6th Grade, Homeschool Coconino County: Janie, 6th Grade, Tuba City Boarding School Gila County: Jonalynn, 5th Grade, Rice Intermediate School Graham County: Ramina, 5th Grade, Bonita Elementary School Greenlee County: Rachel, 5th Grade, Fairbanks Middle School LA PAZ COUNTY: Aubrielle, 5th Grade, Ehrenberg Elementary School Maricopa County: Aadhya, 5th Grade, New Vistas Center for Edu- cation, Kash, 6th Grade, Desert Trails Elementary School, Pardis, 5th Grade, BASIS Scottsdale, Han- nah, 5th Grade, Homeschool, El- liott, 6th Grade, Madison Tradi- tional Academy. Mohave County: Riley, 5th Grade, Mohave Accelerated Learning Cen- ter Navajo County: Matthew, 6th Grade, Dishchii'bikoh Community School Pima County: Rowan, 5th Grade, Sam Hughes Elementary School Bay, 6th Grade, Esperero Canyon Middle School Pinal County: Angelus, 6th Grade, Copper Basin K-8 School Santa Cruz County: Jessica, 5th Grade, Francisco Vasquez de Coro- nado Yavapai County: Ethan, 6th Grade, Tri-City Preparatory Yuma County: Briella, 6th Grade, Desert View Middle School To read the winning essays, visit http://www.az529.gov/essaycon- test. PHOTO COURTESY THE FERRARO GROUP- ABRIELLE IS SECOND FROM THE RIGHT www.facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews

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