We asked students to submit videos, artwork or texts explaining how their big idea could change the world. We think the winners will dazzle you as much as they did us.

We’re proud to award these eight savvy thinkers scholarships totaling $19,000. Video winners from each of three regions receive $5,000; picture winners, $1,000 each, and text winners, $500 each.

Grab your Whataburger shades. Our future looks bright.

TEXAS WINNERS

Video Winner

Sanah Jivani

After losing her hair, Sanah wants the world to know that it’s okay to love who you are. Her #WhataBigIdea is to establish February 13 as the International Day of Self-Love.

Artwork Winner

Madison Graham

The picture you see here is a colored pencil rendering of a photograph that my older brother and I took when I was about two years old. My big idea is to help children learn about people like my older brother, who has severe special needs.

I would love to establish an online program that K-12 educators could use to help students understand people's differences through an interactive video learning system.

This would help humanize those who do not always have a voice.

Text Winner

Xonzy Gaddis

EAST REGION WINNERS

Video Winner

Ocean Acidification: A Concrete Problem

Isabella Michal

Ocean acidification is a problem for our environment, and Isabella wants to change that. Her #WhataBigIdea is to create limestone reef balls that will help build our ocean life when acid is tearing it apart.

Artwork Winner

Hali Ware

 My 10 year old sister was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma.

My big idea is to start a project that would build awareness of childhood cancer.

We would paint rocks with cute designs and put #MadForMady and the gold ribbon, which is designed to raise awareness for childhood cancer. On the back of the rock, we put a message encouraging people to take a picture of the rock, post it to social media, and then hide it for the next person to find.

This would be a fun scavenger hunt that would also raise awareness.

WEST REGION WINNERS

Video Winner

Farjam Ashrafzadeh

Keeping classrooms safe with door barricades is Farjam’s #WhatABigIdea. He has imagined a system that will strengthen the shield of a door when it is met with force.

Artwork Winner

Ariana Granger

I am a student at Mesa Community College Red Mountain Campus in Arizona. This past semester we started a community garden on campus. With the help of our amazing faculty and their donation of 10 trees, we got the garden up and running at the end of April to celebrate Arbor Day.

We hope to harvest enough fresh produce to supplement the Mesa Market, which is a food pantry on campus for our students/my peers who may be struggling with food insecurity. If possible, we intend to host farmers' markets with the surplus.

That is just the start of my BIG IDEA. The real big idea is that one day we can have community gardens in every state that include housing units on the grounds for our homeless populations to work in the gardens. There will be volunteer staff on site to teach career-building skills, and the community members can teach gardening skills.

Text Winner

Melissa Ober