AUSTIN – Camryn Bigelow of Dallas has been selected as a winner in the 2019 “Don’t mess with Texas” scholarship contest. Camryn was awarded a $2,000 college scholarship which he will apply toward his studies in marine biology at Texas A&M University at Galveston.

The “Don’t mess with Texas” scholarship contest is presented annually in partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful and recognizes the achievements of high school seniors who demonstrate a leadership role in preventing litter in their schools and communities while building awareness of the “Don’t mess with Texas” litter-prevention campaign. A total of $18,000 in scholarships was awarded to four high school seniors. The 2019 scholarships were sponsored by iHeartMedia, PunchDrunk Digital and the Moody Foundation.

With a deep interest in the environment, Camryn was actively involved in several sustainability initiatives at Richland Collegiate High School where he was a student. After participating in an annual clean-up of a lake in his community, Camryn noticed a great deal of plastic among the litter. Inspired by this observation, Camryn conducted a research project centered on plastic pollution and how it affects aquatic environments. His research gained traction with a local college professor who wanted to expand on the subject with a water quality testing project. The combined research findings propelled Camryn to initiate a biannual clean-up of the lake.

“Don’t mess with Texas” has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. The campaign is the signature initiative for TxDOT’s litter prevention initiatives which include Adopt-a-Highway, a grassroots partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful and the community outreach and cleanup event — the Don’t mess with Texas Trash-Off. For additional information on “Don’t mess with Texas,” visit Dontmesswithtexas.org.

For media inquiries, contact TxDOT Media Relations at [email protected] or (512) 463-8700.