Today, a photo is worth more than a thousand words—it’s worth a college education. Kentucky Fried Chicken announced that Daniel Galuppo from Torrey PinesHigh School in San Diego won a $20,000 KFC Colonel’s Scholars scholarship based on a single photo shared on Twitter.
KFC selected Daniel Galuppo from high school seniors across the country who applied by tweeting a single image and including the hash tag #KFCScholar. He schooled the Twitterverse with an image from a recent volunteer trip to Vietnam, where he photographed orphans. Galuppo, originally from Lithuania, has no photos of himself before his adoption and move to the U.S. He has made it his mission to visit orphanages so he can give the children pictures of themselves as keepsakes.
Photo entries were judged on quality, creativity, compelling nature, and consistency with Colonel Harland Sanders’ commitment to service.
“We were impressed by the creativity and passion for higher education that came across in these images. It was tough to pick a winner,” says John Cywinski, president of KFC. “Daniel’s photo highlighting why he embodies the qualities of a Colonel’s Scholar put him at the head of the class. We’re proud to help further his college education.”
Galuppo will receive up to $5,000 per year for the next four years to pursue a bachelor’s degree at an accredited public university within California. He hopes to attend UCLAin 2012 to pursue film production.
“Being behind the camera is my passion, and now a photo has earned me the chance at a college education,” Galuppo says. “I can’t tell you how I excited I am to pursue my dreams as a Colonel’s Scholar on campus this fall.”
Last year’s winner, Amanda Russell, won KFC’s inaugural Twitter scholarship with a single 140-character tweet: “#KFCScholar Hey Colonel! Your scholarship's the secret ingredient missing from my recipe for success! Got the grades, drive, just need
cash!” Russell also attends UCLA and continues to play an active role in the Colonel’s Scholars program, even providing tips to this year’s entrants via the @KFC_Colonel handle.
Shutterbugs aren’t the only ones who can snap up a scholarship. Applications for 2012 are being accepted through February 8. Seventy-four additional scholarships will be awarded for next year.
KFC Colonel’s Scholars, now in its sixth year, is an annual program of the Kentucky Fried Chicken Foundation, an independent charity supported by KFC, its employees and franchisees, and KFC patrons.
The KFC Colonel’s Scholars’ mission is to empower students to improve their lives with scholarship resources. The program has awarded more than $5 million in scholarships since its inception.
