Abigail Johnson, Aryka Montes and Mackenzi Lawson don’t know each other, but they share a passion for bettering their communities – which is why Sparklight selected them to each receive $3,000 to help pay for their Fall 2019 college tuition through its Going Places social media campaign.
About the winners:
Abigail Johnson of Long Beach, Mississippi is studying Marine Biology at the University of Southern Mississippi and plans to use her degree to ensure that the coastlines and marine organisms of Mississippi remain beautiful for years to come.
Aryka Montes of Roswell, New Mexico is pursuing a degree in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona. She is passionate about working with children and plans to work with kids to improve their communication skills and to treat speech, language, and social/cognitive communication challenges.
Mackenzi Lawson of Hillsboro, Illinois attends Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis where she is double majoring in biochemistry and Spanish. Inspired by a pediatric endocrinologist when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, Lawson decided to follow the same path and help families in her community with their health issues.
“Sparklight is committed to giving back to the communities we serve, and what better way to invest in the future of our communities than by helping students committed to making their towns a better place,” said Trish Niemann, director of corporate communications for Sparklight. “Although each of these young women is pursuing a different career path, they are all dedicated to making life better for their fellow citizens.”