CashCourse hosts the My Story student essay contest each fall semester. We ask students to share a money story based on a different prompt each year. Winners receive cash prizes to go towards school, and their essays are also featured on the site to help inspire and educate their peers. For 2017, our prompt was, “Describe one of your earliest money memories. What did you learn from it? How has it shaped your approach or attitude towards your future financial life?” We received tons of submissions and selected six winners for the year. Read on for the winning essays: Kenneth M., Boston UniversityMy Story: My Experience with Payday Loans Katherine W., Temple UniversityMy Story: Comparison Shopping at Breakfast Candace W., Tri-County Technical CollegeMy Story: Learning the Value of a Home-Cooked Meal Patrick V., Michigan State UniversityMy Story: Saving for My First Big Purchase Blake T., Brigham Young University - IdahoMy Story: How Monopoly Money Taught Me to Budget Alexis M., Clark UniversityMy Story: What Money and Integrity Mean to Me The 2018 My Story contest is open through October 31, 2018. This year’s prompt is: Describe a financial mistake or stumble you have had. What did you learn from it? How has it shaped your approach to your money today? We are giving away six cash prizes again this year: 1 grand prize winner - $2,000 1 second place winner - $1,000 4 runners up - $250 each