Discover the Future

The Essay Winner - Begins Saving For College
The essay winner of Promise of America: Explore*Dream*Discover essay competition will receive $10,000 to grow in a John Hancock Freedom 529 College Savings Plan. The John Hancock Freedom 529 College Savings Plan assists individuals and families in saving for college in a tax-advantaged way and allows the account holder to maintain control over assets and distributions. Offering the savings plan enables John Hancock Financial to leverage its business products to support the youth in our public schools as well as aid our next generation of leaders.

The Essay Winner - Goes to Washington D.C.
Additionally, the winner and their parents/guardians will be invited to Washington D.C. for the National Archives July 4th Celebration. On this holiday the National Archives will present a special day of programming to celebrate the 232nd birthday of the country. The events, specially created for a family audience, will draw more than a thousand people during the day.

The Essay Winner - Attends VIP Events
Most importantly, the winning student will have the opportunity to read their essay from the VIP portico of the National Archives building before a public gathering of hundreds. This follows a VIP breakfast attended by 150 government leaders, foreign diplomats, and national media professionals including National Archives Board Members Coki Roberts and Ken Burns. The essay winner and their family will have priority seating in the National Archives viewing box. There they will witness the ceremonial reading of the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s Independence Day parade with over 1,000 spectators in attendance.

The Promise of America essay competition allows John Hancock Financial to leverage the past, present and future while partnering with Mentor Michigan and other youth programs throughout the country, as well as the Foundation for the National Archives.  The competition requires students to explore the past by asking students to examine the contributions of one of the country’s most significant founding fathers, John Hancock. It builds upon the present by awarding the competition winner a business product offered by John Hancock Financial that will help fulfill the dream of college and an opportunity to participate in the 232nd celebration of our country’s independence.  Finally, in weaving together all of these elements, John Hancock Financial provides a brighter future for our next generation of leaders, helping them discover how they too can make a difference in their communities.