Pennsville student wins AAA South Jersey scholarship contest

Ashley Mistichelli, a senior at Pennsville Memorial High School, has been selected as the winner in the AAA South Jersey Essay Scholarship contest. Mistichelli earned $2,500 toward her college tuition with her winning entry.

The contest, open to all high school seniors living or attending school in Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester or Salem counties, presented a challenging scenario to answer with a maximum of 1,000 words:

“You’ve seen commercials and news stories about self-driving cars. Would you feel safe riding in a driverless car? If so, what makes you so confident about the car? If not, what could be done to make you feel more secure?”

The resulting essay was selected by a panel of judges as the top thesis from the nearly 320 entries received. A total of 60 high schools were represented in the contest. All entrants received a free, one-year basic membership to AAA South Jersey.

Mistichelli will use the $2,500 from AAA South Jersey toward her tuition at Elizabethtown University in the fall.