800 people gathered together on February 8 at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the BestPrep Educational Forum, featuring nationally renowned non-profit leader and best-selling author, John Hope Bryant. Bryant gave a powerful keynote presentation on financial inclusion that left guests inspired and energized.
John Hope Bryant then joined Kelley Elliott, Vice President of Total Rewards at Delta Air Lines, and Greg Cunningham, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at U.S. Bank, for a lively business panel discussion regarding financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
This was followed by a second panel featuring local high school students, Kyra Shah from Edina High School and Matthew Eviston from Stillwater Area High School, to provide a student perspective on financial literacy.
BestPrep’s statewide Student Spotlight Competition was once again sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Students submitted essays, music, art and more in response to the prompt: Explain how John Hope Bryant’s 5 pillars of success will be key to your personal success.
The top 20 winners, their teachers, and their families were invited to join the Student Spotlight reception prior to the program where the contest submissions were displayed and the top 5 winners were recognized. Our first place winner, Akshika Kandeepan, was the reciepient of the Kristie Award and a $2,500 scholarship provided by the Kristie Greve family.
View the complete list of winners here.
The creativity of students in the community inspired guests of the event and the variety of submissions entered in the competition was truly impressive. BestPrep looks forward to what students will bring to the next Student Spotlight Competition.
Thank you for making this year’s Educational Forum a success and for participating in BestPrep’s mission to ensure students are work-ready and career-bound. We look forward to seeing you again next year!