GALVESTON, TX – Rosie Bui, a recent graduate of Ball High School, has been selected as a winner in the 2021 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest. Rosie was awarded a $5,000 college scholarship which she will apply toward her field of study in Biochemistry and Sustainability at the University of Pennsylvania.

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.

A concern for the environment and the wildlife on Galveston’s beaches have led Rosie to implement several initiatives to prevent pollution and litter. She ran a community-wide recycling program, participated regularly in beach and community trash clean-ups and served as a recycling chair and president for the National Honor Society at her school. In these roles, she made recycling among the student body a major platform. As she heads off to college, Rosie is looking to continue her litter-prevention efforts in her new 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.

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