T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — From left to right, Iowa State Treasurer Roby Smith, Wayne Galema and Aluxia Galema pose for a photo at the Marshalltown Public Library on Tuesday morning. Wayne won a $1,000 College Savings Iowa contribution from a drawing at the State Fair on behalf of Aluxia, his granddaughter.

Two-year-old Aluxia Galema may not have fully understood what was happening when she met State Treasurer Roby Smith at the Marshalltown Public Library on Tuesday morning, but her parents and grandparents were excited to make an investment in her future education nonetheless.

Wayne Galema, her grandfather (who also resides in Marshalltown), entered the Iowa State Fair giveaway on behalf of each of his five grandchildren, and of course, he was excited to win on behalf of Aluxia.

“I am excited to be a College Savings Iowa 529 Iowa State Fair winner. We have entered 529 contests in the past and saw an opportunity to register for the giveaway at the State Fair booth,” Wayne Galema siad. “All five of our grandchildren have Iowa 529 accounts for college.”

Smith, who is in his first term as treasurer, said the college giveaway is “one of our favorites” and noted that the money can be placed in a savings account to collect interest or invested with the opportunity to increase at a higher rate.

“The nice thing is that grandparents can help too on this, so that’s what I love about this story,” Smith said. “It was randomly chosen, but I’m glad that it chose a grandma and grandpa because it shows that they can open up accounts too and help out with their children’s education. Now this money can sit there and grow for the next 16 or 17 years until she heads off to college.”