Forty graduating high school seniors from San Diego County were awarded laptop computers for submitting winning ideas on how to get more people to ride public transportation.
The contest, sponsored by Metropolitan Transit System and Coca-Cola, asked each student to write a 1,000-word essay with creative methods and tools MTS could use to inspire the community to ride public transit.
More than 200 students from schools all over San Diego submitted an essay.
Students came up with ideas like frequent ride incentives and transit passes on cellphones to free WiFi, cooling seats or vending machines.
Incoming California State University San Marcos student Gisselle Nogales said those perks would get her to ride public transit.
She wrote her essay based on her dad’s experience of riding the trolley for more than a decade.
She plans to major in Business Administration.
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Crawford High School senior Pedro Perez Quintana was another winner.
“My idea was first of all the plugs for phones which nowadays they die too fast,” he said.
Perez Quintana rides the bus to appointments and to hang out with friends.
He’s interested in opening a sports store and then ultimately starting a sports league to give back to the community.
In addition to the 40 laptops giveaway, one lucky student who submitted his/her entry early received an iPad or 30-day regional pass.
The MTS & Coca-Cola scholarship program was presented by MTS, Coca-Cola Refreshments of San Diego and San Diego County Office of Education.
