Ambitious Miles High School Student Wins "Don't Mess with Texas" Scholarship
- 05.23.05
Amy Schwertner wins $3,000 for tackling local litter problem
(AUSTIN, Texas)—Young Texans are the state's worst litterers, but thanks to Miles High School senior Amy Schwertner, the number of offenders in the west central Texas town of Miles may be on the decline.
On May 23, Schwertner won the Don't Mess with Texas scholarship, sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and funded by Advantage-Rent-A-Car, for creating a litter-prevention program in her hometown called "Be a Proud Citizen, Don't Litter." She financed her program through a grant she received from her local Wal-Mart store. She used the grant money to design and produce car litterbags and distribute them to Wal-Mart shoppers as they left the store. She not only handed out the bags, she talked to people about the importance of their individual contribution to keeping Texas clean.
The Don't Mess with Texas Scholarship was created to recognize the achievements of Texas high school seniors who have taken actions to prevent litter in their schools or communities.
"Amy's litter-prevention activities are truly remarkable and especially inspiring given that Texans ages 16 to 24 are the most frequent litterers," said TxDOT Travel Division Director Doris Howdeshell. "Her determination to pursue and win the Wal-Mart grant as well as her savvy approach to litter-prevention really made her application stand out for our panel of judges."
In her application, Schwertner said her project made her feel like she made a difference in the appearance of her hometown, and it also helped save tax dollars. She plans to use the scholarship money to attend Texas Tech University this fall where she'll study food and nutrition.
"Rewarding Amy's leadership and hard work with a college scholarship is something we are honored to provide," said Mark Walker, Vice President of Advantage Rent-A-Car. "Her project inspired others to use a litter bag and keep their trash in the car and off the roads. And keeping our roads and highways clean is an important component to tourism in Texas and attracting visitors to our great state."
