UMHB Student Wins Top Scholarship

07/17/06

Belton, Texas - Heather Gates, a student at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, has been awarded Chick-fil-A, Inc.'s top scholarship in recognition of her personal excellence in academics, employment, community service and leadership.

Gates is one of 25 national scholarship recipients selected from among more than 1,100 winners of Chick-fil-A's Leadership Scholarship Program in 2005.  The program awards $1,000 scholarships to support the higher education goals of team members who exhibit superior leadership, work ethic, customer service and civic qualities.  From those winners a blue ribbon panel of metro Atlanta-based business and education professionals selects 25 winners of the S. Truett Cathy Award, which contributes an additional $1,000 scholarship to each recipient.

Gates has worked for three years at the Ridge Road Chick-fil-A location where she is the first employee to receive the leadership scholarship since the restaurant opened in 2001.  Gates is the first employee from the restaurant to win the S. Truett Cathy Award, which is named for the founder of the Chick-fil-A chain.

"Chick-fil-A's commitment to helping team members achieve their academic goals goes back virtually the full 60 years of our history," said Cathy, who opened his first restaurant in 1946. "Since that time it's been our pleasure to help more than 21,000 team members pursue their career dream by donating more than $21 million in scholarship funds."

Gates is studying accounting at UMHB.  A Rockwall High School graduate in 2005, Gates will continue to work for the Chick-fil-A restaurant at Ridge Road during her breaks from school.  She is the daughter of Joe and Barbara Barber of Rockwall.

Chick-fil-A franchised operators play a vital role in the development of their employees, acting as mentors as well as fostering a work environment that helps instill integrity, teamwork, leadership and responsibility as key character traits.

"Heather epitomizes all the qualities which the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award was created to acknowledge," said Moseley.  "She is an example of leadership, responsibility and excellence both in our restaurant and our community."

The S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award has awarded more than $250,000 in scholarship money since the award began in 1997.  Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is the second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain with 1,249 restaurants in 38 states and Washington D.C.  The chain expects to build more than 72 locations this year, including 61 free-standing units.  For more information,  visit www.chick-fil-a.com or www.chick-fil-apressroom.com.