When Andrew Jimenez applied to what he called, “some random ad, a tuition giveaway,” he never expected what awaited him.
Jimenez is a 19-year-old from Aberdeen. He serves as Sandhills Community College’s student president, and he plans to transfer to a four-year university next year. He competed in the Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway, and, miraculously, he won. Taking home $100,000 in tuition funds, he never has to worry about college debt again.
The Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway is a televised challenge in which two young adults go head-to-head. In it, the contestants have 30 seconds to throw as many footballs as they can into a giant Dr Pepper can. Whoever scores the most points wins $100,000 in tuition, and the runner-up takes home $20,000.
The event took place on Dec. 2, during halftime of an all-important college football game: the SEC championship. Held in Atlanta, Georgia, the big game drew near-unprecedented attention: over 70,000 were in the crowd, and over 15 million were watching the broadcast.
When Jimenez took the field, though, he was ready and levelheaded. “Relative to what was happening, however many people watching …, I was very calm,” he said. “Everything was exactly as I had imagined. It was the same footballs, the same cans, the same tunnel.”
Nonetheless, nothing could completely prepare him for the moment. He admitted that he was nervous — jittery, sweaty-palmed. “Being out on the field was crazy, to say the least. It was insane to see myself in that position,” he said.
He and his competitor, Anita, took position, the whistle blew, and off they went. While competing, during those 30 seconds, Jimenez refused to look at Anita’s score. He focused only on himself and his throwing.
He described his experience: “Believe it or not, the stadium was silent to me. I didn’t hear anything other than the refs who were right next to me, the cheerleaders screaming in my ear, and Anita.”
Jimenez nailed 18 throws, winning by six. “In the moment of winning, I think you can see on the broadcast, I was unbelievably relieved,” he said. “Two weeks of straight-up practicing, straight-up studying, obsessing about this competition. It’s over, I did it.”
That two-week period began when Jimenez’s application video was selected, and he was told he’d be competing for the grand prize. He got serious, preparing ceaselessly.
Graciously, Sandhills Community College (SCC) provided him with two mock cans and 30 footballs for him to practice with. Thanks to SCC’s donations, Jimenez had the perfect setup to grind right in his backyard, bettering his chances of triumph.
While practicing, Jimenez played videos of previous Dr Pepper challenges on his phone, immersing himself in that setting. “I would put myself right there,” he explained.
Jimenez trained his arm and his mind, and in the end, it paid off.
“[Winning lifted] the huge burden of college debt off,” he said. “I had always told myself I was going to graduate debt-free, but I never knew how.”
Now, thanks to Dr Pepper, amazing luck, and unwavering dedication, he doesn’t have to wonder.
Feature photo: Andrew Jimenez wins the Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway. AP Images for Dr Pepper via Dr Pepper’s website.
~Article by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Andrew Sellers.
