Instant gratification is seeping into every aspect of everyday life, especially for teenagers on social media. Whether it’s a new “Like” on a Facebook post or a “Snap” message sent on Snapchat, teenagers have become accustomed to the instant attention and real-time results they receive through multiple outlets.
However, there’s no such thing as “instant” grades. Great grades remains one of the few things in life that still takes time and hard work for teenagers to achieve on their report cards. One of these hard-working teenagers is Carbon High ninth grader Ronni Williams, who received a $100 scholarship savings account as a regional winner of the fall drawing from Zions Bank’s Pays for A’s program.
Zions Bank’s Pays for A’s rewards those who put in the effort to make their grades count. Carmen Humphrey, assistant sales manager at the Price financial center surprised Williams with her win during a presentation in a school assembly on Nov. 30.
“We want to reward the perseverance of students who take the time to do their schoolwork and understand that grades are not just handed out, they are earned,” said Humphrey. “Through the Pays for A’s program, we aim to ignite the desire of learning and show students how they can reap the benefits of doing well in school.”
Although students may have to delay gratification to earn good grades, Humphrey noted that students could still “instantly” share the good news of receiving an ‘A’ grade on social media using the official hashtag for Pays for A’s: #BrainyAndIKnowIt.
To help students focus on schoolwork and motivate them to achieve good grades, Humphrey offered three tips for parents:
·Set small daily goals: Understand that it’s the little things that count. A large goal like receiving an ‘A’ at the end of the semester can feel overwhelming to a student. It could feel more achievable when broken down into daily goals like attending a class, finishing a homework assignment or studying for a test.
·Put away the cellphone: Remove distractions for a set amount of time each day after school. Encourage your student to do their homework in a separate room from their cellphone and laptop so they can focus on their studies without feeling the need to check their notifications.
·Provide simple rewards: Stay motivated by providing a small immediate reward for completing a specific task. This could be as simple as allowing your student to watch a TV episode of their favorite show as a reward for finishing daily math homework.
Pays for A’s is open to all Utah and Idaho students ages 12 to 18. Students can participate by bringing their most current term-end report card into any Zions Bank location. Students do not need a Zions Bank account to participate. They’ll receive $1 per “A” deposited into their savings account, or .50 cents per “A” if they opt for cash. For each “A” on their report cards, students are entered into a drawing to win one of 150 regional scholarship prizes each worth $100 and one grand prize worth $1,000 in each state.
For more information on the giveaway deadlines, visit www.zionsbank.com/pays4as.
[dfads params='groups=4969&limit=1&orderby=random']
[dfads params='groups=1745&limit=1&orderby=random']