Special to The Leader

Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School senior Jaden Lewis was recently named a School Winner in Wendy’s High School Heisman Program. According to a release from Wendy’s corporate headquarters, “There are some students who set the bar. They work harder, show more passion and lead by example—in the classroom, on the field and within the community.”

LCM High School principal, Todd Loupe, concurs. “Jaden is a very bright and talented student, but what sets Jaden apart from her peers is her work ethic.  She pushes herself to be the best in every facet of her school life.  It’s a pleasure to have a student like her on campus representing our school.  I’m honored that Wendy’s is recognizing all her hard work” said Loupe.

The Wendy’s High School Heisman was created by Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas in 1994.  Dave Thomas dropped out of high school when he was 15 years old in order to work full-time and went on to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history.  While this nontraditional path led to his prosperity, it always worried Dave that others would follow in his footsteps and expect to achieve similar fame and wealth by not finishing high school or attending college.

Faced with this dilemma, at 61 years old, Dave enrolled at Coconut Creek High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and received his General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Inspired by this moment and with a desire to celebrate the outstanding achievements of youth in America, he launched the Wendy’s High School Heisman program.

Twenty-two years later, Wendy’s High School Heisman has honored more than 600,000 of the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors who share Wendy’s values of giving back to their communities, treating people with respect, continuing education and excelling on the athletic field. The Wendy’s High School Heisman is a joint program between Wendy’s and the Heisman Trophy Trust, host and custodians of the Heisman Memorial Trophy^®.