Three Michigan High School Seniors Earn Scholarship Funds for College
Washington, DC — Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE), a nonprofit coalition that works to educate the public on automated vehicle (AV) technologies, has announced the winners of its fourth annual Essay Contest and Scholarship Program. The PAVE Essay Contest encourages high school students to explore the potential impacts of autonomous vehicles and awards scholarships to the authors of the top essays. This year marked the program’s debut in Michigan, a state that has become a hub for AV testing and deployment.
“Michigan has been a longtime leader in transportation innovation, and we felt it was important to give students there the opportunity to reflect on how these developments could impact their communities, both on a local and national scale,” said PAVE Executive Director Tara Andringa. “STEM education is an important part of PAVE’s public education campaign, and we were thrilled with the ideas Michigan students shared in their essays.”
A committee of experts from across the AV industry evaluated the submissions, considering each essay’s thesis development, creativity, and organization. Out of more than 200 Michigan students who entered the contest, three were selected as winners. Saraiah Okoh, a senior from Byron Center, MI, was awarded first place in the contest. Isabella Maitland, a senior from Romulus, MI, received second place, and Evan Wyatt, a senior from Macomb, MI, earned third place.
The winning students will receive college scholarship funds thanks to PAVE member and longtime essay contest sponsor STEER. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Office of Future Mobility and Electrification also provided support.
To learn more about the PAVE Essay Contest & Scholarship Program, visit https://pavecampaign.org/pave-essay-contest/.
