OneUnited Bank, the largest Black-owned bank in the U.S., is proud to announce the winners of its 13th annual “I Got Bank! Youth Essay & Art Contest.” Each of the 10 youth winners are awarded a $1,000 savings account.
The 2023 winners are
- Zoey Bradley, Columbia, Maryland;
- Jada Current, Buckeye, Arizona;
- Kailee Marie Friend, Hawthorne, California;
- Taelyn Johnson, Dorchester, Massachusetts;
- Sue Lee, Los Angeles;
- Ian Robinson Jr., Middletown, Delaware;
- Cailyn Sanders, Miami Lakes, Florida;
- Aydin M. Soner, Columbia, South Carolina;
- Katalyn Wiley, Conway, Arkansas;
- Tatyana Wright, Columbia, South Carolina.
Each winner expressed the importance of financial literacy and savings. The panel of judges included Teri Williams, OneUnited president & COO and Sherri Brewer, OneUnited senior vice president, chief retail officer. Williams states, “Interestingly, this year the most prevalent themes in the submissions were more positive, with a focus on thriving rather than overcoming economic challenges. We believe the more aspirational themes may be a result of a stronger employment market for their parents. We congratulate our winners, their families, and all participants in the contest.” Williams wrote the book I Got Bank! What My Grandad Taught Me About Money (Beckham), after discovering the lack of books geared toward educating urban youth about financial literacy. The “I Got Bank!” youth essay & art contest is part of a larger OneUnited Bank initiative to make financial literacy a core and commonplace value of the Black community. To learn more about past I Got Bank winners, please visit the OneUnited Bank Financial Literacy Blog.
