DUBLIN, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- From an applicant pool of nearly 42,000 high school scholar-athletes graduating with the class of 2019, 10 students have been named National Finalists in the 25th year of Wendy's annual scholarship competition.

Wendy's High School Heisman was created by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas in 1994. Dave dropped out of high school when he was 15 years old 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 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. At 61 years old, Dave enrolled at Coconut Creek High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and received his General Equivalency Diploma. Inspired by this moment and with a desire to celebrate the outstanding achievements of youth in America, he launched Wendy's High School Heisman.

Twenty-five years later, Wendy's has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships to students and more than a million dollars to high school academic and athletic programs across the country. Wendy's High School Heisman has also celebrated more than 650,000 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 2018 National Finalists will receive a $1,000 college scholarship and compete for the chance to be named the 2018 male and female National Winners. National Winners will be announced on Friday, November 9, 2018 on www.wendysheisman.com. The two National Winners will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship and trip to New York City to attend the Heisman Trophy Trust's annual college Heisman award broadcast on Saturday, December 8, 2018.

To learn more about these finalists, or for a complete listing of all 2018 Wendy's High School Heisman Winners visit, www.wendysheisman.com.

About Wendy's
Wendy's® was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio. Dave built his business on the premise, "Quality is our Recipe®," which remains the guidepost of the Wendy's system. Wendy's is best known for its made-to-order square hamburgers, using fresh, never frozen beef*, freshly-prepared salads with hand-chopped lettuce, and other signature items like chili, baked potatoes and the Frosty® dessert. The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is committed to doing the right thing and making a positive difference in the lives of others. This is most visible through the Company's support of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® and its signature Wendy's Wonderful Kids® program, which seeks to find every child in the North American foster care system a loving, forever home. Today, Wendy's and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across more than 6,600 restaurants worldwide with a vision of becoming the world's most thriving and beloved restaurant brand. For details on franchising, connect with us at www.wendys.com/franchising. Visit www.wendys.com and www.squaredealblog.com for more information and connect with us on Twitter and Instagram using @wendys, and on Facebook www.facebook.com/wendys.

*Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Canada.

The Wendy's name and design and the Wendy's High School Heisman and design are trademarks of Quality Is Our Recipe, LLC.  The Heisman Memorial Trophy, Heisman name and Heisman Trophy figure are registered trademarks of the Heisman Trophy Trust, used with permission.

National Finalists who do not go on to become National Winners receive a $1,000 scholarship. National Winners receive a $5,000 scholarship. This scholarship is based on the final level achieved and is not cumulative.         

WENDY'S MEDIA CONTACT:
Bry Roth
Manager of Brand & CSR Communications
Bry.Roth@wendys.com

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SOURCE Wendy's