Bastrop Student Earns "Don't Mess with Texas" Scholarship
- 08.11.06
Bastrop Student Earns “Don't Mess with Texas” Scholarship for
Her Efforts to Clean Up Litter After Hurricane Rita
Three college-bound Texans win third annual scholarship
(BASTROP, Texas)-A college-bound student from Bastrop will use money from the third annual Don't Mess with Texas scholarship program to help pay for her university education.
Dani Schumacher received a $1,500 Don't Mess with Texas scholarship for spearheading local litter-prevention efforts in her community.
The family of David D. Barton, M.D. sponsored the Texas Department of Transportation's 2006 Don't Mess with Texas scholarship program, which awarded one $3,000 and two $1,500 scholarships to graduating Texas high school students who implemented a creative and sustainable solution to a litter problem in their school or community. The late Dr. Barton was an advocate of both higher education and litter prevention, and this year's scholarship donation honors his commitment to helping young people pursue their college degrees.
“Now in our third year, we've been able to provide $16,000 in scholarship funds to deserving students,” said Doris Howdeshell, TxDOT Travel Division Director. “While research reveals Texans younger than 25 are most likely to litter, the number of applications we received shows that a lot of young people are passionate about the environment and are doing their part to keep Texas litter-free.”
Schumacher first felt compelled to help her community after Hurricane Rita. She and her mother picked up trash from grassy fields near a gas station, an area heavily littered by the influx of displaced people from Houston. After the hurricane, Schumacher wanted to do something with a lasting effect. She organized monthly cleanups with students from her high school and worked to remove scrap metal, appliances and rotting furniture from nature trails at a local wildlife refuge.
“I feel the quality of life resides in our relationships to each other and how we function together to better our community,” said Schumacher.
Schumacher, a graduate of Bastrop High School, plans to attend The University of Texas at Austin later this month and major in business management.
The other two scholarship winners were Max Goerte of Telephone, Texas, and Allison Cohen from San Antonio.
High school seniors were invited to apply for the Don't Mess with Texas scholarship at www.DontMessWithTexas.org. Students supplied a written essay and provided two letters of recommendation. The scholarship is open to Texas graduating high school seniors who plan to attend accredited two- or four-year colleges or public or private universities in Texas.
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