BankUnited Chairman, President and CEO John Kanas (left) and professional wide receiver Davone Bess (right) present 17-year-old Spanish River Community High School student Marisa Rosen (center) with a check for $1,000 for her winning essay as part of BankUnited’s 4 Downs for Finance program, which wrapped up with a reception at Sun Life Stadium.

MIAMI LAKES, Fla. (March 25, 2012) -- Professional wide receiver Davone Bess and BankUnited, one of the largest banks headquartered in Florida, recently honored 17-year-old Boca Raton resident Marisa Rosen, a student at Spanish River Community High School, for her grand-prize winning essay on the importance of saving money.

Bess met with Rosen at Sun Life Stadium and presented her with an autographed football.  In addition to the autographed football and meeting Bess, Rosen's essay earned her $1,000 courtesy of BankUnited.

"At BankUnited we believe in teaching children about the importance of saving money from an early age," said John Kanas, chairman, president and CEO of BankUnited.  "By partnering with Davone, we are able to capture the attention of Florida's youth to help spread some important messages about saving and managing money."
Bess and BankUnited teamed up to promote financial literacy with 4 Downs for Finance, which encouraged Florida students ages 13 to 18 to access age-appropriate money tips at www.4downsforfinance.com throughout the football season, then submit an essay telling why they think saving is important.  In addition to Rosen, 11 other students were selected to win a football autographed by Bess.

As part of 4 Downs for Finance, Bess shared money tips with students such as:

• Earn money by getting a part-time job or helping mom and dad around the house.
• Save part of what you earn, at least 10 percent.
• Save a portion of monetary gifts you receive for holidays and birthdays, at least 10 percent.
• Open a savings account for the money you save and deposit it as soon as possible to avoid spending it.
• Set a savings goal.  Be ambitious enough that you have to work for it but realistic enough that the goal is achievable.

About BankUnited, N.A.
BankUnited, N.A., a national bank and wholly-owned subsidiary of BankUnited, Inc. (NYSE: BKU), is headquartered in Miami Lakes, Florida with $11.7 billion of assets, more than 1,360 professionals and 98 branches in 15 Florida counties as of December 31, 2012. Ranked 10th on Forbes Magazine's list of "Best Banks in America 2012," and one of the largest independent depository institutions headquartered in Florida by assets, BankUnited provides a wide range of commercial and consumer banking services. The company recently opened a branch on Long Island and has plans to open branches in New York City. For additional information, call (877) 779-2265 or visit www.BankUnited.com.