Nearly 70 Triton School Corporation kindergartners visited the Ancilla College campus Monday, October 12, as part of the Promise Indiana program to promote 529 college savings plans.
The visit included a look at the Ancilla College chapel, a chat with the athletics department, a meeting with nursing students, a math activity with education majors, a visit to President Dr. Ken Zirkle’s office, and a visit to a science lab where kindergarten students experimented with science.
Phil Maurizi, the Vice President of Promise Operations, also attended the event. Maurizi is from the Wabash County YMCA. Research by Indiana Promise says that low to moderate income children who have even $1 saved for college are three times more likely to enroll in college, and seven times more likely to finish their program. Although $1 does not pay for a college education, it creates the identity that ‘I am someone who goes to college.’ Any amount of financial assets are “hope” in a concrete form. Students in school today will need some sort of training/education after high school to secure a job that can financially support them and their families. These 529 savings plans provide that “hope”…especially for students whose parents never attended any sort of college or post high school training program.
Connie Lemler, Vice President of First Source Bank, arranged for her bank to support the 529 savings program at Triton. First Source Bank has agreed to deposit $25 into any account opened for any Triton Kindergarten student. Triton hopes to expand on this program K-12 so that every student who graduates from Triton has $1000 invested in them by their community to begin their post high school training.
A community meeting is planned for Tuesday, November 3rd, at 9:00 AM at Lindenwood on the Ancilla Campus. Representatives from interested schools, civic organizations, and businesses are invited to attend to learn more about the Indiana Promise program.
Pictured are some Triton kindergarten students on their Ancilla visit and a couple of the first Indiana Promise students at Triton: Gracie Riffle and Levi McFarland.
