Lack of funding front and center in ARTBA Student Transportation Video Contest winners

Updated Oct 17, 2015

ARTBA video contest winner

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association named two students the winners of the fifth edition of the organization’s Student Transportation Video Contest.

ARTBA announced that Maryland high school student De’Jia Long-Hillie and University of North Texas undergraduate Alexis Gamboa were named the winners of this year’s contest. ARTBA said the goal of the contest is to get students to learn more about infrastructure issues by creating a short video on different transportation topics—topics included infrastructure funding, environmentally sustainable construction methods, street cars and light rail systems and alternative modes of transportation.

Long-Hillie and Gamboa won over the 26 entries in the two categories of the contest, which is sponsored by ARTBA’s Research and Education Division. A panel of ARTBA members reviewed each of the entrants and selected the two winners which were given a $500 cash prize and had their videos screened at ARTBA’s National Convention September 29-October 1 in Philadelphia.

Montgomery Blair High School student Long-Hillie won Category One of the competition, designated for elementary, middle and high school students. Long-Hillie’s video can be seen below and focuses on the Washington, D.C., transit system and the need for maintenance and upgrades.

The University of North Texas’ Gamboa was the winner of Category Two for post-secondary, college or graduate students. Gamboa’s video focused on the need in America to invest in infrastructure and the importance of citizens telling legislators that infrastructure funding in necessary.

Category One winning video from Montgomery Blair High School’s De’Jia Long-Hillie

Category Two winning video from the University of North Texas’ Alexis Gamboa