Listen Live
CLOSE

HUMBLE, Texas (July 19, 2011) – Chick-fil-A® Founder and CEO S. Truett Cathy selects Humble resident Brianna Castle from more than 1,500 candidates to receive the 2011 S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award which is given to only 25 restaurant team members each year.

Matt Michaels, franchised Operator of the Lake Houston Chick-fil-A restaurant at 19220 W. Lake Houston Pkwy., will present the award to Castle at 9:30 a.m., (today) on July 19.

Started in 1997, the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award each year singles out 25 restaurant team members from among the recipients of the Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarship the previous year, which amounted to more than 1,500 in 2010, to receive a second $1,000 scholarship. Cathy, along with a blue-ribbon panel of Atlanta community leaders, selected Castle for the chain’s top scholarship based on her personal excellence in academics, community service and leadership.

“We’re thrilled to be able to invest in the future of our team members by helping them continue their education,” said Cathy, who celebrated 90 this year. “It has long been my goal to encourage youth such as Castle to strive for excellence and to lead by example. She truly exemplifies the work ethic, dedication and customer service that we believe sets the high standard for our more than 50,000 restaurant team members across the country.”

Castle has worked for Chick-fil-A for more than three years at the Lake Houston location. She is studying Cognitive Science at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. A 2010 graduate of Atascocita High in Humble, Castle was active in National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and basketball. She also volunteered with Make A Wish Foundation and Angel Food Ministries.

“Castle is an exceptional team member with strong leadership skills, great customer service and a winning attitude,” said Michaels. “It’s a pleasure to reward those efforts with this prestigious scholarship and to recognize her as a valuable asset not only to our restaurant, but also to our community.”

Chick-fil-A’s franchised Operators, many who are former Leadership Scholarship and S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award recipients, continue this legacy of excellence by mentoring the dozens of restaurant team members they employ at the more than 1560 Chick-fil-A locations nationwide. By setting the example in their restaurants, Chick-fil-A Operators strive to create an environment that promotes the development of key character traits such as a strong work ethic, goal-setting, integrity, service and leadership.

Since its creation to celebrate Chick-fil-A’s 25 years of awarding scholarships, the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award has awarded $375,000 in scholarship funds to previous Leadership Scholarship recipients. Founded in 1973, Chick-fil-A’s Leadership Scholarship program has awarded more than $27.3 million in $1,000 scholarships. It is projected that Chick-fil-A scholarship recipients have attended one of more than 2,400 institutions across the country.