Kira Currier, an eighth-grader at Johnston Middle School, has won the statewide financial literacy essay contest for Money Smart Week Iowa and has been named Iowa’s 2017 Money Smart Kid. Currier also received $1,000 from the Iowa Bankers Association to put towards her college education. 
“Knowing how financial health and physical health relate to one another is an important aspect of financial education, and it is exciting to see these students learn about that relationship through this essay contest,” said Lori Ristau, vice president of marketing and communications at the Iowa Bankers Association. “Iowa banks are committed to helping Iowans reach their financial goals, and providing access to financial education resources through programs like the Money Smart Week Kid essay contest is just one of the many ways banks are helping their communities. We are pleased to sponsor this fun and educational opportunity for Iowa students on behalf of our member banks.”
Approximately 102 students from across the state participated in the essay contest. To be eligible, students had to be in grades seventh through eleventh and submit a 400-word essay. The essay asked students to describe the connection between financial health and physical health and what they can do to become more financially healthy.
The top five essay finalists also participated in an interview with contest judges. From those finalists, Kira Currier was selected to be the 2017 Money Smart Kid.
“There is a larger connection between your workouts and paychecks than you might once have thought,” Currier stated in her award-winning essay. “Educating yourself on healthy financial decisions will help lift weight off your shoulders AND your wallet.”
Currier is the daughter of Larry and Vona Currier and attends Johnston Middle School. In addition to Currier, the four essay finalists were: Caleb Kehrli (Manchester), Derrick Wiemerslage (Waukon), Faith Johnson (Altoona), and Sydney Ross (Waukon).
More information about Money Smart Week is available at www.moneysmartweek.org.
Iowa Jump$tart Coalition 