Joseph Costello, a high school freshman, was announced on Wednesday as the winner of a full-ride, four-year college scholarship in Ohio’s Vax-a-Million lottery. The 14 year old and his family live in Englewood, Ohio.
Costello was enjoying the start of his summer vacation when he was greeted by members of the governor’s office who informed him of the good news. Afterwards, Gov. Mike DeWine and his wife Fran, visited Costello at his house, sharing a picture to Twitter of him posing with the lucky family. Costello’s name was selected out of almost 105,000 entries of vaccinated 12 to 17 year olds.
About his good fortune, Costello states that he is very happy and excited. Costello is involved in track and cross country at school. When prompted to disclose his plans for college, he revealed that he is still unsure about what he wants to study but hopes to attend either Ohio State University or Miami University.
Costello’s parents, Rich and Colleen, both vaccinated before the lottery incentive was announced, had planned to get their children vaccinated as well by the end of May. The Vax-a-Million prize influenced them to get it done sooner.
The contest, though, did accelerate our decision and we got it done before the first drawing.
Ever since DeWine announced the Vax-a-Million competition, which is funded by federal stimulus money, Ohio’s vaccination numbers have made a 5.8 percent increase. According to the Ohio Department of Health, about 39.19 percent of the state is now fully vaccinated.
Other states, such as Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Oregon and now California, have followed Ohio’s lead with lottery competitions to encourage vaccinations. States are also presenting other incentives as well. For example, New York is offering free subway cards and 50 full college scholarships while West Virginia is offering a $100 savings bond.
With all the new incentives out there, it’s looking likely that vaccination rates all over the country will continue to climb.