Essay winners plan to save

Astoria Federal Savings held an essay contest last month and selected three lucky Queens kids as winners.
Hafsa Hossein, 9, of Richmond Hill; Anthony Sutich, 11, of Whitestone and Lauren Secilmis, 11, of Sunnyside were awarded a savings bond, a certificate and medal for their essays that completed the statement:
“If I save a lot today, in the future I could…”
Hossain won first place in the 8 to 10 age group; Sutich won first place in the 11 to 12 age group and Secilmis won second place in the 11 to 12 age group.
The bank selected the three budding writers out of 1,300 applicants from across the five boroughs and Westchester in their sixth annual essay contest. The children were among seven winners whose essays were chosen.
The aspiring savers wrote about plans to donate money to help cure neurological complications, to establish a nonprofit organization for children in third world countries and to open a publishing house. – Vishal Persaud