NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — One New Orleans senior from the Willow School has received a very special graduation gift from NOLA Public Schools and the Premier Automotive Group.
On Wednesday (May 24th), 18-year-old Macailen Davis was selected via raffle, out of 36 NOLA Public School (NOLA-PS) students, to win a 2023 Toyota Corolla L-E.
With plans to study finance at LSU, the car would be a big help for Davis.
“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.
Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) President Olin Parker along with board members also will personally contribute $2,000 to help cover the taxes and registration fees for the vehicle giveaway.
The annual program aims to award a recent high school graduate with perfect attendance a brand new car, in hopes that it helps them continue their education.
“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.”
To date, more than 750 students have participated in the program.
Although Davis may have taken home the grand prize, the remaining finalists with perfect attendance were eligible for monetary donations and swag bags with $100 Amazon gift cards.
