Cumming Chick-fil-A Team Member to Win Chain’s Top Scholarship
--By Staff Writer on --
Cumming resident, one of only 25 winners nationwide, to be honored with award
CUMMING, Ga. (Sept. 12, 2012) – Continuing his legacy of encouraging and supporting higher education, Chick-fil-A® founder S. Truett Cathy has selected Cumming resident Thomas Keller from nearly 1,600 candidates to receive the 2011 S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award, the chain’s top scholarship.
Mike Ridzon, franchised Operator of the Lanier Crossing Chick-fil-A®restaurant at 653 Atlanta Road, presented the award to Keller.
Cathy, whose life-long support of higher education was formalized into the Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarship program in 1973, personally selected the recipients alongside a blue-ribbon panel of Atlanta-area civic and business leaders. The 25 winners are chosen annually out of the chain’s Leadership Scholarship winners, all of whom are employed at a Chick-fil-A restaurant. This second $1,000 scholarship, the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award, recognizes team members who excel in academics, community service and leadership.
“For several generations now it has been a priority for me to encourage and support our team members as they seek to further their educations,” said Cathy, 91, who continues to serve as CEO of the Atlanta-based chain he founded. “I am thrilled to recognize youth such as Keller whose dedication, pursuit of excellence and personal character exemplify the traits we want to foster in the leaders of tomorrow.”
Keller has worked for Chick-fil-A for more than 3 years at the Lanier Crossing location. He is studying Marketing at Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia. A 2010 graduate of West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Keller was active in Boy Scouts of America, high school football and baseball. He also volunteered with the St. Brendan Catholic Community, and the Sort and Bag service project.
“Thomas personifies the qualities the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award was created to recognize,” said Ridzon. “He leads by example in our restaurant and community. I am delighted that his hard work, positive attitude and leadership have been rewarded with this prestigious scholarship.”
Chick-fil-A’s franchised Operators strive to create a work environment that fosters personal and team character development that will benefit each restaurant team member in their school, home and communities, as well as during their time at Chick-fil-A. These Operators, many of whom are former Leadership and S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award recipients themselves, take seriously their roles as mentors in promoting the development of restaurant team members in the areas of goal-setting, integrity, service, work ethic and leadership.
Since its inception, the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award has awarded $400,000 in funds to previous Leadership Scholarship recipients. Founded in 1973, Chick-fil-A’s Leadership Scholarship program has awarded more than $30 million in $1,000 scholarships. It is projected that Chick-fil-A scholarship recipients have attended one of more than 3,100 institutions across the country.