Cormac Wentzel was musing on his career path Tuesday afternoon at St. Francis de Sales Central Catholic School.
“I want to be a scientist,” said the student, who also allowed that he doesn’t mind attending the parochial school on Guthrie Lane one bit.
Nope. Not at all.
Good thing. Scientists have to go to college before they get to be scientists.
That’s why he had some questions for West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore that afternoon in the gym.
“Does it cost it cost anything?”
“Do you have to go to school here?”
“What if you born somewhere else – but live here now?”
Cormac was pondering upon a promotion launched by Moore that will award $15,000 to one lucky student somewhere in West Virginia for college.
It’s the SMART529 “Fund the Future” sweepstakes.
Moore, who is also running for Congress, kicked off the promotion two weeks ago in Wheeling.
For him, education is the spark of empowerment that glows even brighter than the arc of the welding machine he operated on job sites and machine shops while he was paying his way through college.
“You are the future of our great state,” he said, addressing the St. Francis audience. “You will make this state a better place.”
An educated workforce, he said, is an empowered workforce that can’t help but accomplish.
Besides, he said, it’s now the way of the world.
Now, and in the future.
“You’re going to need some form of post-secondary training,” he said.
To enter, a child must be 17 or younger.
Entries must be completed by a parent or legal guardian by May 22.
The child and parent or legal guardian must all be a resident of West Virginia.
Multiple kids in the same household may also enter.
The winner will be announced in coming weeks, the treasurer said.
To enter and for full details on the sweepstakes, visit https://www.wvtreasury.com/fundthefuture.
“Future” is the watchword for St. Francis Principal Arthur Moore, who isn’t related to the treasurer.
After all, he said, that’s the gospel at his school.
“Day in and day out, the teachers at St. Francis are laying an academic foundation for you that will benefit you in your future,” the administrator said.
