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Ian Robinson has lots of reasons to do what his mother tells him to do, even when he doesn’t want to…about 1,000 reasons, or in his case $1,000. That’s how much Ian won in an essay contest that he says his mother made him enter during his summer break but “I feel really good because I know it’s across the whole United States and it’s cool to say that I won!” Ian, a 6th-grade Chinese Immersion student at Gunning Bedford Middle School, is one of 10 students in the country to win $1,000 to put into a savings account with the sponsors of the essay contest, OneUnited Bank, the nation’s largest Black-owned bank. Ian was tasked with reading a book written by the bank’s owner about financial literacy and writing about what he learned. “Don’t always spend money as soon as you get it, save and invest and use it when you really need it…I wrote that I want to be a professional sports player and sports players have to be smart financially and the book that I read taught me how to be smart financially.” As for taking orders from his mother to write the essay Ian admits, “It’s always good to put in the extra work because at the end of the day, you’re only getting smarter even if you don’t want to do it.”  Ian’s parents are proud 2007 William Penn graduates who were thrilled to tell Gunning Bedford Principal Bill Johnston about Ian’s accomplishment, along with his former Pleasantville Principal Renee Griffith, calling their son an example of the Power of WE. “ Ian is a living example of how Colonial prepares its students for success as well as impact. Beyond Ian successfully winning the contest, he has transformed how he thinks about money and managing it, which will have long-lasting impacts for his future. Furthermore, he’s represented the district well as we believe that he is the first winner in the state of Delaware. Since kindergarten, Ian has grown academically and personally through amazing teachers, counselors, and principals. The impact is already so evident!”