Hampton University alumna Alyson Rae Lawson is the proud owner of a 7-Eleven franchise after winning a franchise giveaway contest exclusively targeted to women entrepreneurs. In March, the 28-year-old business woman took a step closer to her dreams of owning a franchise when a company rep from 7-Eleven that she had previously reached out to, called her back. "He said they were having a contest," Lawson told Fox 4 News. "Thousands of people apply to contests. There's no way in this world. But I'll go ahead and apply,” she said. “I'll play along and just see what happens."

Despite having a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and two Master's degrees in Business and Finance, the Dallas native was shocked to learn that she was the contest winner. "In the beginning, it was a long shot,” she said. “But over time, you keep building up all these levels. I could do this! This could happen!" The video she submitted to compete for the top prize of owning her own 7-Eleven franchise has since gone social media viral.

In addition to her 7-Eleven franchise, Lawson also received a $10,000 reward from the foundation for donation to a charity of her choosing. The proud Delta Sigma Theta member a nonprofit founder chose to allocate the funds to the Lance A Lemons Memorial Foundation. 

Shout out to 7-Eleven for demonstrating stellar corporate responsibility, and Alyson Rae Lawson for epitomizing #BlackExcellence.

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