Student Mika Verner awarded $2,500 scholarship in Safer Internet Day celebration at Facebook headquarters

ALEXANDRIA, Va., (Feb. 10, 2015)—National PTA® has named 16-year-old Mika Verner of San Pedro, Calif., the grand prize winner of its #ShareAwesome contest, a social media challenge that urged students ages 13 to 17 to capture and share photos of awesome people, moments and decisions. Verner was selected as the winner of the contest from among hundreds of entrants from across the country for her photo captioned “My Sport is Sailing” and her finalist video. Verner was recognized today at the headquarters of Facebook during ConnectSafely’s Safer Internet Day celebration and honored with a $2,500 scholarship, Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and technology for her school.

“Today’s families use technology in every aspect of life. #ShareAwesome celebrates students who use technology in positive ways,” said Otha Thornton, president of National PTA. “We applaud all of the students who participated in the #ShareAwesome contest, and we are pleased to recognize Mika and the finalists for promoting positive habits online. Their efforts are truly making a difference and helping their peers to make smart, safe and positive decisions when using the Internet and mobile devices.”

The contest was part of National PTA’s #ShareAwesome public awareness campaign, which launched in September 2014 and is supported by LifeLock, Inc. (NYSE: LOCK), the industry leader in proactive identity theft protection. #ShareAwesome is designed to spotlight and address important online safety and digital citizenship issues in a fun, positive way while helping families create an open, evolving conversation about positive, safe decisions when using digital tools.

The #ShareAwesome contest encouraged young people to capture awesome moments they experienced or awesome decisions they or others made and share them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #ShareAwesome. Ten finalists were selected to submit a video illustrating how they are encouraging #ShareAwesome in their school and among their peers. Submissions were evaluated based on the overall message and engagement of good digital behavior.

The finalists also received a Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Those students were:

• Carly Holzner, Lemont, Ill.
• James Abeyta, Escondido, Calif.
• Kaitlyn Hejnal, Killeen, Texas
• Madison Clark, Springfield, Ohio
• Madison Finke, Norfolk, Va.
• Matthew Kaplan, Phoenix, Ariz.
• Mayra Reyes, Madera, Calif.
• Kyla Hoster, Sandy, Utah
• Tyler Ewing, Reno, Nev.

“We’re delighted to honor Mika and support good digital habits for kids with National PTA,” said Hilary Schneider, president of LifeLock.

In addition to the contest, the #ShareAwesome campaign features an online hub of information and tools for students, families and educators created in collaboration with expert advisors from ConnectSafely.org and Common Sense Media. The site includes quizzes for students and parents to test their digital and social media savviness; a pledge to inspire family members and friends to be safer, smarter, more positive digital citizens; and tools to educate families and host events at schools focused on the topic.   

For more information about the #ShareAwesome campaign, visit ShareAwesomeNow.org. To learn more about the contest winner and finalists, visit PTA.org.

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

About LifeLock, Inc.

LifeLock, Inc. (NYSE:LOCK) is a leading provider of proactive identity theft protection services for consumers and identity risk and credit worthiness assessment for enterprises. LifeLock's threat detection, proactive identity alerts, and comprehensive remediation services provide peace of mind for consumers amid the growing threat of identity theft.  Leveraging unique data, science and patented technology from ID Analytics, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, LifeLock offers fraud protection that goes beyond credit monitoring. As part of its commitment to help fight identity theft, LifeLock works to train law enforcement and partners with a variety of non-profit organizations to help consumers establish positive habits to combat this threat.