COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION AND DR PEPPER AWARD TUITION ASSISTANCE TO DESERVING EDUCATION MAJORS
Grants Part of The College Football Playoff Foundation’s Go Teach initiative and Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway for Student Athletes Looking to Become Teachers
IRVING, Texas – Jan. 5, 2021 – In support of The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation’s Go Teach initiative, the CFP and Dr Pepper announced today the recipients of this year’s tuition assistance – a collective effort to award $1.5 million in tuition over the next six years to support student athletes looking to become teachers. Five grand prize winners were each presented with $20,000 tuition grants, while more than 60 student athletes received $2,500 each in tuition awards. This fund is in addition to Dr Pepper’s Tuition Giveaway Program and allows Dr Pepper’s conference partners, the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC, to provide support and recognition for student athletes with education-related majors.
Conference partners and networks shared in the celebration with surprises and features on ACC Network, Big 12 Digital Media, Big Ten Network, CBS, Pac 12 Network and SEC Nation. Former Dallas Cowboy and CFP Foundation ambassador Darren Woodson surprised many of the $2,500 tuition award winners with the news on a virtual group call with student athletes from the five conferences. He also awarded one of the grand prizes to the Big 12 winner, Baylor University’s James Lockhart, on a separate virtual call.
Highlights of the features, presentations and surprises can be viewed in a video here: https://youtu.be/L_wvJ0OZesg
"I am honored to support the CFP Foundation’s Go Teach initiative and the Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway in a fantastic effort to recruit student athletes to pursue teaching degrees,” said Woodson. “Our country is facing a teacher shortage, and the need has never been greater for qualified people to educate our kids. The team culture that comes with being a student athlete lends a skill set key to being a tremendous teacher. Congratulations to all the winners – they’re all champions who will make an incredibly positive difference for the next generation.”
“Dr Pepper has been a wonderful partner, and we are thrilled to have their continued support,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “Our Go Teach project is an exciting initiative to encourage student athletes to pursue careers in education, and this generous tuition support will go a long way to ensure the continued expansion of the Go Teach project in the years to come.”
The CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper are dedicated to growing the Go Teach initiative to place qualified teachers in classrooms across the nation. Launched in 2019 following a pilot program at the University of Texas at Austin, the Go Teach initiative quickly expanded to a dozen schools by the end of 2019. Today, more than 15 schools are participating in the Go Teach program and identifying creative ways to help student athletes move into the teaching profession.
“Dr Pepper has partnered with the CFP Foundation since 2015, and we are proud to expand our relationship to help even more student athletes realize their dreams of becoming a teacher,” said Derek Dabrowski, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Dr Pepper. “Dr Pepper is synonymous with college football. This year has looked different than most due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why it’s more than important than ever that we support students with big dreams who need the help in realizing them.”
The Grand Prize Winners of $20,000 tuition grants (one for each of Dr Pepper’s conference partners):
Name School Conference Sport Major Expected Graduation Date
Julia Bingham USC Pac 12 Soccer Educational Counseling 2022
Ariyah Copeland Alabama SEC Basketball Elementary Education 2021
James Lockhart Baylor Big 12 Football Sports Pedagogy 2021
Taylor McDaniels North Carolina ACC Lacrosse Special Education 2020
Samantha Stefan Maryland Big Ten Softball Special Education 2022
Recipients of $2,500 in tuition awards:
Name School Conference Sport Major Expected Graduation Date
Savannah Bryant NC State ACC Volleyball Elementary Education 2022
Maddie Carr Notre Dame ACC Lacrosse Masters in Education 2022
Sara Goodwin Virginia Tech ACC Lacrosse Human Development 2022
Eoin Gronningsater Duke ACC Fencing Political Science 2022
Joshua Jackson Clemson ACC Football Elementary Education 2021
Lindsey Hendrix Syracuse ACC Softball Elementary Education 2024
Kathryn Crosby Huckabay Georgia Tech ACC Softball Literature & Media 2022
John Lamot Boston College ACC Football Sports Administration 2021
Elizabeth Mason Florida State ACC Softball Athletic Coaching 2021
Ainsley Mattingly Louisville ACC Rowing Middle Education 2022
Nikki Scherer Pitt ACC Track & Field Elementary Education 2022
Abigail Schwenger Miami (Fla.) ACC Rowing Elementary Education 2022
Elijah Shalaway Wake Forest ACC Track & Field Teacher Fellows 2021
Ethan Weatherspoon Virginia ACC Wrestling Education Innovation 2023
Delaney Appino Illinois Big Ten Track/Cross Country Art Education 2021
Ty Chaffin Nebraska Big Ten Football Math Education 2021
Emily Converse Purdue Big Ten Swimming & Diving Elementary Education 2021
Kelsey Giese Indiana Big Ten Field Hockey Special Education 2021
Gianna Glatz Rutgers Big Ten Field Hockey Psychology/Education 2022
Maya Gompper Michigan Big Ten Field Hockey Elementary Education 2021
Michael Milinovich Wisconsin Big Ten Swimming & Diving Physical Education 2021
Jonni Parker Penn State Big Ten Volleyball NA NA
Wren Renquist Iowa Big Ten Track/Cross Country Biology 2022
Adeena Shears Ohio State Big Ten Golf Early Education 2021
Claire Adams Texas Big 12 Swimming NA NA
Kelton Hollins TCU Big 12 Football Masters in Education 2021
Savanna Jones Texas Tech Big 12 Soccer Elementary Education 2021
Lisa Lauschke Kansas Big 12 Track/Cross Country Masters in Education 2021
Caleb Littlejim Kansas State Big 12 Baseball Counseling & Advising 2022
Olivia Martinelli West Virginia Big 12 Rowing Physical Education 2021
Amber Templin Oklahoma Big 12 Rowing Education 2021
Hannah Webb Oklahoma State Big 12 Soccer Mathematics 2021
Keiara Williams Iowa State Big 12 Track & Field History Education 2021
Isabelle Boniface Washington Pac 12 Rowing Arts & Sciences 2023
Lauren Brzykcy UCLA Pac 12 Soccer Sociology 2021
Sydney Collins Cal Pac 12 Soccer Education & Media 2021
Emily Coombs Washington State Pac 12 Track & Field Elementary Education 2021
Ashleigh Fonsen Oregon State Pac 12 Soccer Psychology 2020
Lydia Giomi Oregon Pac 12 Basketball Educational Foundations 2021
Laura Leigh Horton Arizona Pac 12 Gymnastics Elementary Education 2021
Brody Lewis Utah Pac 12 Swimming & Diving Kinesiology Teaching 2020
Meghan McClure Stanford Pac 12 Volleyball Science Technology 2021
Carah Moren Arizona State Pac 12 Track & Field Mathematics 2021
Paxton Smith Colorado Pac 12 Track/Cross Country Masters in Education 2022
Kaden Briggs South Carolina SEC Track & Field Education 2021
Lindsey Johnson Ole Miss SEC Softball Elementary Education 2021
Broadie King Mississippi State SEC Football Elementary Education 2022
Alyssa Lemon Arkansas SEC Swimming & Diving Childhood Education 2021
Bryanna Leyen Vanderbilt SEC Bowling Education 2021
Karina Liz Missouri SEC Track/Cross Country Education 2021
Danielle Mahaffey Tennessee SEC Volleyball Mathematics 2022
Jessica Merritt Auburn SEC Swimming & Diving Elementary Education 2020
Jordyn Pedersen Georgia SEC Gymnastics Middle Education 2021
Madisyn Peeples Kentucky SEC Track/Cross Country Elementary Education 2021
Samantha Siebenaller Texas A&M SEC Swimming Education 2021
Theresa Swertfager Florida SEC Softball Education 2021
The CFP Foundation is the largest sports entity supporting K-12 education in America. For more information about the CFP Foundation, visit cfp-foundation.org.
#CFPExtraYard
About the College Football Playoff Foundation and Extra Yard for Teachers
The CFP Foundation is the community-engagement arm of the College Football Playoff, supporting education across the country. The CFP Foundation’s primary cause platform, Extra Yard for Teachers, is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment and professional development. The CFP Foundation utilizes multiple partnerships to execute its initiatives and support positive educational outcomes. To learn more, visit cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social media.
About Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper, a brand of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), is the oldest major soft drink in the United States. Since 1885, the 23 flavors of Dr Pepper have earned legions of fans that enjoy its unique, refreshing taste. The brand is available in Regular, Diet, Caffeine Free, Cream Soda and Cherry varieties. For more information, visit DrPepper.com or keurigdrpepper.com. For the brand's latest news and updates, follow Dr Pepper at Facebook.com/DrPepper or Twitter.com/DrPepper.
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