Treasury giving away scholarships to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary

By Treasurer David McRae

John Adams once predicted that Americans would celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence with “games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations.” That said, he probably never imagined we’d still be doing it 250 years later.

And yet, here we are.

A strong and vibrant United States was never guaranteed. Instead, it was built on a leap of faith and the belief that ordinary people could build extraordinary lives, assuming they were given freedom and opportunity. From these earliest of days, we understood that hard work should matter more than where you started and that each generation should have a better shot than the one before it. That promise became what we know today as the American Dream.

Generation after generation, Americans have expanded that opportunity, creating stronger communities, opening new doors, and making sure more families could build a future of their own. We celebrate our history not because America has always been perfect, but because Americans have always believed tomorrow could be better than today.

But opportunity is not always evenly distributed. Too many young people face barriers that have nothing to do with effort or ambition. Finances matter. Access matters. Sometimes all it takes is one small opening to help someone take the next step toward their future.

That’s why, as Mississippi prepares to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Mississippi Treasury is doing something simple: investing in opportunity.

From now through midnight on July 3, students can register to win one of 10 $250 Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) scholarships through our America250 Giveaway.

All Mississippi students aged pre-K through 12th grade are eligible to apply (only one submission per student will be counted). The winner will be announced on July 10. For more information and to enter, please visit https://treasury.ms.gov/america250/.

It’s not about the dollar amount alone. It’s about what it represents. Every scholarship is a reminder that the American promise is still alive – and that investing in young people remains one of the best ways to secure our future and ensure the next generation has even greater opportunities than we have today.

Two hundred and fifty years after our founding, that’s still worth celebrating.