40 High Schoolers Win Laptops as Part of MTS and Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Essay Contest

The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) announced and celebrated the 40 winners of the 20^th annual MTS and Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Laptop Scholarship Essay Contest, which awards top-scoring students with brand new laptop computers. The winning students came from 25 high schools from across San Diego County, and were awarded a Dell – Inspiron Touch Laptop and a carry-on laptop backpack, a prize value of $800.

“In the past few years, technology has become a crucial part of learning in every student’s life, and having a reliable computer can make a huge difference in academic performance,” said Nathan Fletcher, MTS Board Chair and San Diego County Board Supervisor. “We love to get young people thinking critically about public transit, and I am proud of the work these students put into these essays. We are grateful to Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling for sponsoring this contest and the great partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education for making it a success.”

For the 2022 Laptop Scholarship Essay Contest, students grades 9-12 will be asked to write a persuasive essay on the value of the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass (YOP) pilot program, and why it should or should not continue. Since May 2022, all youth 18 and under have had access to free transit across the county through the YOP pilot program. As part of the essays, students were also able to give feedback about the program and suggestions to further expand the opportunities it provides.

“Young people are powerful agents of change and it’s admirable that MTS worked to incorporate their feedback into the YOP process,” said Dr. Paul Gothold, San Diego County Superintendent of Schools. “I am proud of the students who participated in the laptop scholarship essay contest and thankful to MTS and the Reyes Coca Cola Bottling Company for their continued support.”

“We are proud to be part of the San Diego community and are honored to support local students through this program,” said Steve Raubolt, San Diego Market Unit President, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling. “We wish these students the best of luck in their future and hope they continue to thrive in their education.”

The Laptop Scholarship Essay Contest is a long-standing event partnership between MTS, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Company and the San Diego County Office of Education. To be eligible to win, students had to be enrolled in a San Diego County high school.

For more information about the Laptop Scholarship visit our website.

Winners of the 2022 MTS & Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Laptop Scholarship Essay Contest are: