WAUSAU, Wis. (April
10, 2023) – Cousins Subs ®, alongside its
Make It Better Foundation and partner, Donald Driver, name Colin Belton of D.
C. Everest High School as the first-place winner of a $7,500 Driven at Heart
Scholarship.
Belton
is one of four Wisconsin high school senior finalists who took home
scholarships as part of the inaugural Driven at Heart scholarship contest. He
was selected as a finalist due to his ability to excel academically while being
a multi-sport athlete and dedicated community volunteer.
In
high school, Belton played varsity
tennis and soccer throughout his four years, receiving multiple unanimous first
team all-conference honors, several all-state nominations and served as captain
for both sports. He coached numerous soccer programs, is a certified USSF
referee and three-time member of the Wisconsin Olympic Development Program
State Soccer Team.
Outside of sports, Belton received the President’s
Gold Volunteer Service Award for his work raising puppies with Patriot K9s of
Wisconsin, an organization that provides service dogs for veterans with PTSD
and traumatic brain injury; he was also a founding member of the Junior Board.
Through
his hard work, Belton obtained a 3.98 GPA and will attend Duke University in the fall to study neuroscience and history and
partake in Duke’s FOCUS program studying cognitive neuroscience and law.
“I am
someone who always tried my best to embody the ideals of a student-athlete,
while at the same time contributing in a significant way to my community,” he
said. “Balancing academic curiosity with athletic and community involvement is
not always easy and receiving this award helps me realize that all my hard work
throughout high school has paid off. Furthermore, to be recognized by someone I
admire and with such high prestige like Donald Driver is truly an honor.”
Joining
Belton is Ava Lamers of Rhinelander, Wis. who also received a $7,500
scholarship, and second-place winners, Audrey Rabitz of Manitowoc, Wis. and Dalton
Hoehn of Mauston, Wis., who received $2,500 scholarships.
Belton,
alongside the other recipients and their parents attended the Wisconsin
Athletic Hall of Fame 73rd Annual Induction Ceremony Saturday, April
1st, where they were recognized on stage during the ceremony by
Driver and Cousins Subs Vice President of Marketing, Justin McCoy.
“These
four individuals are beyond impressive,” said Driver. “We had a ton of great
applicants for our first Driven at Heart scholarship contest, but Ava, Colin,
Audrey and Dalton stood out amongst the crowd. It was an honor to be on stage
with these four bright minds and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish in
the next step of their life journeys.”
“We couldn’t have
asked for a better group to represent our first Driven at Heart scholarship
winners,” said McCoy.
“I have no doubt they will find success throughout their college years and
beyond – these four set the bar high for years to come.”
Cousins
Subs received nearly 300 applications from stellar high school senior athletes
through the Driven at Heart scholarship contest. The four scholarship
recipients were selected due to their academic achievements, community contributions
and success in WIAA sanctioned sports.
The
four scholarships are funded by the Make It Better
Foundation – the brand’s nonprofit
organization that addresses the vital community needs of health and wellness,
hunger and youth education. Formerly known as the Wisconsin Sports Awards
Scholarship Contest, the organization has awarded more than $200,000 in
scholarships to 44 high school students, including this year’s recipients.
For
more information about the Make It Better Foundation, please visit cousinssubs.com/foundation .