San Diego MTS is launching a high school essay contest with a laptop prize

San Diego County high school students can purchase new laptops through an essay contest that opened Tuesday regarding a regional pilot program offering free public transportation to youth 18 and under.

19th Annual Laptop Scholarship Essay Contest 2022, launched by the San Diego Metropolitan Transportation System, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling and the San Diego County Office of Education, open through Nov. 25 to students in grades 9-12.

According to MTS, the 40 best essayists will take home a laptop.

This year’s contest is accepting essays about the Youth Opportunity Pass, a pilot program that went into effect in May that provides free travel for local youth. Students are asked to write a persuasive essay about the value of the pilot program and why it should or should not continue.

“Each year we select an essay prompt that is relevant to our current and future projects,” said MTS CEO Sharon Cooney. “The Youth Opportunity Pass went into effect this year, and we want to hear from students what they think about the program.”

To be eligible to win, students must submit an entry form along with an essay of between 750 and 1,000 words. All entries are due Friday, November 25th at 11:59pm PST. Students must attend school in San Diego County and follow all instructions on the application form.

Applications can be emailed to scholarship@sdmts.com or mailed/delivered to MTS, Attn: Laptop Scholarship, 1255 Imperial Ave., Suite 900, San Diego, CA 92101.

The full text of the essay, rules and guidelines are available at www.sdmts.com/rider-info/events/high-school-laptop-scholarship-contest.

– City news service