Giddings High School Student Wins $20,000 Tootsie Tomanetz Scholarship Sponsored by Ozarka® Natural Spring Water
Ozarka® and the BBQ legend have teamed up to honor a graduating senior who has overcome significant adversity on his road to excellence
Giddings, Texas, May 17 – When two local favorites, Ozarka® Texas spring water and iconic barbecue pitmaster & Giddings High School staffer Tootsie Tomanetz, teamed up to sponsor a scholarship in her name, neither the brand nor Tomanetz imagined they’d find such an inspirational young man. Jay Kohlman won the $20,000 Tootsie Tomanetz Scholarship at the Giddings High School Awards Banquet, an honor chosen by both Tomanetz and high school staff. Tomanetz and staffers look for a student who exhibits outstanding leadership, hard work, academic excellence, and incredible character. In addition to the scholarship, Ozarka has pledged to send Kohlman free water for his first two years of college.
“This is truly life-changing for me,” said Kohlman. “I would like to thank Ozarka and Ms. Tomanetz for making this scholarship possible. With their generosity I will be able to attend a school of my choice and I can devote more time and effort to my studies. I hope to make as much a difference in the world as this scholarship has done for me. I will forever be thankful for this opportunity.”
Jay Kohlman (left) pictured with Tootsie Tomanetz (right)
Kohlman, who carries a 3.65 GPA and is a starter on the varsity basketball team, is legally a self-supporting homeless minor. His father died tragically in the fall, leaving Kohlman having to financially support himself, despite being only 17. In addition to school, basketball and other school activities, Jay works as many hours as he can at his local Dairy Queen. He plans to head to Blinn Community College in Bryan, Texas in the fall, to begin studying to be a physical therapist, though Kohlman is also evaluating his new options after winning the scholarship. The community has started a GoFundMe page for Kohlman to further support him post-graduation, as he begins college.
“When we saw Jay’s application, we were floored,” said Garret Young, Brand Manager at Ozarka. ”This incredible young man is exactly the kind of student we want to champion. He truly embodies the Made in Texas spirit that Ozarka is all about, and we look forward to seeing everything Jay will achieve in his life.”
“For me, choosing Jay was a no-brainer,” said Tomanetz, who is currently featured in Ozarka’s statewide campaign, Made in Texas. “When Ozarka first brought up the idea of a scholarship, Jay was exactly the kind of student I had in mind.”
Tomanetz was a housewife when she started cooking barbecue in 1966. Now 89-years-old, her traditional BBQ techniques has earned her the title of "Queen of Texas BBQ."
