Lima Senior High School seniors Suerethia Henderson and Briana Wright have been named Wendy’s High School Heisman winners.
The awards go to seniors who share Wendy’s values of giving back to their communities, treating people with respect, continuing education and excelling on the athletic field.
Both Henderson and Wright are standout students and track and field team members. Henderson runs the 100 and 200 meter and has been part of Lima Senior relay teams. Wright throws the discus and shotput. Both hold school records and have already received offers from colleges and universities.
Both are members of the National Honor Society, Henderson with a 3.3 grade-point average and Wright with a 3.9 grade-point average.
Henderson is a former cheerleader and is a member of DECA, where she is involved with the Big Spartans Little Spartans program. She is also involved in G-Force at Cornerstone Harvest Church. She plans to study Business/Accounting/Finance in College.
Wright is a member of the varsity Spartan football team and plays the viola in the Lima Area Youth Orchestra. She plans to major in Pre-Medicine and wants to become a hematologist.
Wright is the daughter of Barrie Howard-Wright and Dale Wright. Henderson is the daughter of Shirlynn Brooks and Wendell Henderson.
The Wendy’s High School Heisman was created by Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas in 1994. 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 Thomas 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, Thomas 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.
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.