EL PASO – Omar Garcia, a recent graduate of Mission Early College High School, has been selected as a winner in the 2021 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest. Omar was awarded a $2,000 college scholarship which he will apply toward his field of study in TV Broadcasting and Communications at El Paso Community College.

The Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest is presented annually in partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful and recognizes students who are taking an active role in litter-prevention at their school or in their community. A total of $9,000 in scholarships was awarded to three high school seniors. The 2021 scholarships was sponsored by Buc-ee’s and iHeartMedia.

As director of his school’s video production team, Omar tapped into his knowledge to film several videos on the importance of picking up trash and keeping his school’s campus clean. He then arranged to show these videos at school gatherings to students, parents and teachers. He later went on to film a PSA on the small things individuals can do to prevent litter and make a difference in the environment. This PSA was shared with multiple audiences at the school district level. Thanks to his efforts, Omar’s video projects have led to heightened awareness of litter-prevention in his school community.

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 programs 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.