November 14, 2013 (Alpine) – When Amy Gorence saw an email in her inbox from Scholarshare, she didn’t open it because she assumed it was advertising. It turns out she overlooked a notification that her daughter, Ryley, had won a scholarship for $529 through a contest, “Reading Makes Cent$,” at the Alpine Library.

Luckily, the folks with California’s official 529 College Savings Plan didn’t give up too easily. A few weeks later, Amy got a phone call asking if Ryley was still interested. “Interested in what?” she asked. The answer was a big surprise: Ryley’s name was chosen, out of all the entries from the San Diego County Library system, to receive $529 in a tax-advantaged savings plan for her college education. As if this weren’t enough good news, there’s more: the Alpine Library will receive matching funds—another $529—to spend on materials.