Wisconsin-based Cousins Subs and its Make It Better Foundation awarded four Wisconsin high school seniors with $20,000 in scholarships as part of its fourth annual Wisconsin Sports Awards Scholarship Contest.
Andrea Wenck of East Troy, Wisconsin, and Kaj Days of Racine, Wisconsin, were selected as the first-place prize winners of a $7,500 scholarship. Emily Beltran and Ben Wachter were the two runners-up and received $2,500 each.
Finalists were awarded scholarships during the Wisconsin Sports Awards, an exclusive VIP event held in Kohler, Wisconsin, on April 12. At the event, the finalists walked the blue carpet beside Wisconsin’s finest in high school, collegiate, and professional athletics, received recognition onstage during the award presentation and mingled with athletes such as Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan and forward Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin Badgers women’s volleyball players Lauren Carlini and Haleigh Nelson and former collegiate and professional football player, Ron Dayne.
“The Wisconsin Sports Awards is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the scholarship finalists and provides the perfect avenue to recognize these students for their remarkable achievements in academics, athletics and community service,” says Justin McCoy, vice president of marketing at Cousins Subs and director on the Make It Better Foundation board. “At the event, the finalists were honored in front of the collegiate and professional athletes that they admire most.”
The Make It Better Foundation received more than 400 applications from Wisconsin high school senior athletes. The four finalists were selected due to their academic acumen, participation in a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association–sanctioned sport, community involvement, and their pursuit of continuing education.
“Each of the finalists have taken unique and honorable paths to success,” McCoy says. “It was evident through their achievements that they will go on to be key contributors to today’s workforce.”
The scholarships are funded through Cousins Make It Better Foundation—a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to funding three areas vital to any community: health and wellness, hunger, and youth education.
