36 recent high school graduates were eligible for the drawing
(New Orleans – (May 24, 2023) – 18 year old Macailen Davis, a soon to be graduate of The Willow School won this year's Stay in School Car Giveaway. Davis who plans to study finance at LSU walked away with 2023 Toyota Corolla LE for being one of 36 NOLA Public School (NOLA-PS) students to have perfect attendance in their senior year of high school. He was randomly selected via a raffle.
"I just came here with a winner's mentality. I got to thank God. I got to thank friends. Got to thank my family. Got to thank everything. It was beautiful, you know. I never won anything this big in my life," said Davis.
This is the 17th year in a row, NOLA-PS and Premier Automotive Group awarded a brand-new car, courtesy of Toyota of New Orleans, to a recent high school graduate with perfect attendance. To date, more than 750 students have participated in this annual event.
"On behalf of NOLA-PS, I'd like to thank Troy Duhon, the Premier Automotive family, and all the sponsors for their partnership and generosity," said NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams. "This is an event our seniors with perfect attendance look forward to every year. The opportunity to compete for a new car is an amazing reward for their commitment to their education. It truly highlights their work ethic and dedication for attending class every single day. We applaud their excellence and every one of them is a winner."
The 36 finalists were invited to Toyota of New Orleans for the final drawing on Tuesday, May 23. All students with perfect attendance were eligible for monetary donations and swag bags with $100 Amazon gift cards provided by Troy Duhon, founder and president of Premier Automotive, along with in-kind donations to upgrade vehicle features courtesy ofAll-Star Electric and Mobile-One Auto Sound.
"This event is very important to me personally. I want to be part of the solution to keep kids in school," said Troy Duhon, founder and president of Premier Automotive. "During the last 17 years, we have awarded several hundred outstanding high school seniors with new cars. The message to the finalists was: the key to success in life is commitment and character. There are many A students that work for C students. We could not be prouder of this years' participants and their perseverance."
"I was very excited to see so many wonderful students and families here today to celebrate their incredible accomplishment," said Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) President Olin Parker. "Perfect attendance is no easy feat. The commitment and persistence these students and their families have shown sets an example for their peers and will prepare them to be successful in life."
On behalf of the OPSB, Mr. Parker, along with board members Leila Eames and Katie Baudouin, announced the board would personally contribute $2,000 to help cover the taxes and registration fees for the vehicle giveaway.
###
About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). NOLA-PS currently oversees 72 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, the first woman in the District's 181 years to serve as its permanent superintendent.
For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.