Last year, senior Alison Schwartz earned financial assistance from an unlikely source.
She was a finalist in the 2010 Dr Pepper Million Dollar Tuition Giveaway, which awarded her with a $5,000 scholarship and appearances online at DrPepper.com and in a national television commercial.
In addition, she was given the honor of being featured on limited edition cans of Diet Dr Pepper Cherry distributed nationwide.
“I was pretty ecstatic because this was the first time Dr Pepper has ever put a consumer on their cans,” Schwartz said. “It’s an honor that Dr Pepper has seen me as a role model. They want to encourage other people who are also trying to make something of their life to apply.”
Other awards given to students by Dr Pepper included scholarships for $2,500, $23,000 and three grand prizes of $123,000.
“The Dr Pepper Million Dollar Tuition Giveaway program has changed the lives of numerous college students, allowing them to achieve their personal and academic goals by removing the financial burden of college tuition,” according to the Dr Pepper Million Dollar Tuition Giveaway fact sheet.
Dr Pepper’s influence is not limited to its monetary contributions.
“It’s been much more than just the financial assistance Dr Pepper has provided for me,” Schwartz said. “Dr Pepper has been supportive of my overall academic career and my personal goals.”
The program selected Schwartz’s 45-second entry video out of thousands of student entries.
In the video that changed her life, Schwartz was enthusiastically sporting black and gold Tiger paint as she attended the 2010 Homecoming College GameDay on Francis Quadrangle. The biochemistry major proceeded to explain that she needed the scholarship to ultimately reach her goal of becoming a doctor specialized in the advancement of women’s health, rights and leadership.
In order to be selected, students needed to include more than just the required elements.
“My enthusiasm and funny comment helped them pick my video as one of the top five out of 10,000 entries,” Schwartz said.
She distinguished her video from the rest with a unique closing comment.
“Please don’t make me burn my bra because that’s what my mom did when she was in college, and I want to represent the new generation of Dr Pepper,” she said in her video.
Dr Pepper was pleased with the results of the program’s second year and has amped up the stakes of the 2011 giveaway.
“The Dr Pepper Million Dollar Tuition Giveaway is back and bigger than ever,” said Dave Fleming, Dr Pepper Director of Brand Marketing in a news release. “We’ve helped change the lives of past winners — whose stories are featured on limited-edition Dr Pepper cans — and are excited to expand this year’s program, giving even more students the chance to win.”
A total of $1 million will be awarded, including five $100,000 grand prize scholarships. Each of the 25 finalists will compete for the grand prizes at the halftime of a college football conference championship or bowl game. The finalists will be tested in their ability to quickly throw footballs five yards through a two-foot hole. Although this competition determines the winners of the grand prizes, runners-up still walk away with $23,000 scholarships.
In addition, many smaller scholarships will be distributed periodically throughout the season. In order to have the chance to be one of the 60-plus smaller prize recipients, students 18 and older must submit their entry videos by Dec. 31.
