13-year-old wins $20K scholarship in vaccination lottery

RENO, Nev. (KTVN) – An eighth grade student in Nevada was the winner of a $20,000 college scholarship for getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Kaylee, 13, says she was just trying to do the right thing when she got the coronavirus vaccine. She wanted to get vaccinated before going to STEM camp this summer.

“The first shot was pretty okay. I mean, it’s a shot, it hurts,” Kaylee said. “The second one was pretty bad. I was out for about 24 hours and then everything went back to normal.”

What Kaylee didn’t know, is that she had been automatically entered in the Vax Nevada Days program, a giveaway of cash, prizes and scholarships for those who get the shot.

So, the initial phone call came as bit of a shock.

“Well, Mom was at the beach with me and she was like, ‘What a weird spam call. [It] had your name and everything,’” Kaylee recalled. “So she talked to Dad and they went to the website. The morning I found out that it was a $20,000 scholarship, I had just woken up. I was in my PJs, my hair was all over the place. I was like, ‘Cool. I’m going to go eat breakfast.’”

While she doesn’t know exactly what her college plans are right now, Kaylee knows that a savings account will come in handy.

“It feels good. It makes me feel comfortable about getting ready to go to college and my future,” Kaylee said.

The teen is encouraging others to get vaccinated.

“Definitely get the vaccine, because like I said, it’s free and ... it takes so little time” for such a big effect,” Kaylee said.

The promotion in Nevada runs until August 26, when the big, $1 million grand prize will be announced.

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