Students from East Lyme and Oakdale were honored for their submissions to the 10th annual CHET Dream Big! Competition. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade were invited to share their dreams about life after college through drawings and essays.

Aditya Kabra, a student at East Lyme Middle School, and Isabella Mitchell, a student at Oakdale Elementary School, were among the 44 students who received $500 contributions to their CHET accounts. More than 2,800 students participated this year, and four grand prize winners received $1,000 contributions.

The Connecticut Higher Education Trust is Connecticut’s 529 college savings program. The competition, which had awarded more than $239,000 in the last 10 years, is sponsored by the State Treasurer’s Office, TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. and CHET.

For more information, visit aboutchet.com.