SRU students’ passion to change the community rewarded with Taco Bell scholarships
Cameron Peachock, a Slippery Rock University graduate student majoring in physical therapy, was awarded a $10,000 check from the Taco Bell Foundation as part of the organization’s Live Más Scholarship Program for restaurant employees.
June 2, 2021
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Many college students must work part-time jobs to make ends meet, but few have inspired their employer to give them a paycheck - in the amount and the literal size - that two Slippery Rock University students received from Taco Bell. Cameron Peachock, a graduate student majoring in physical therapy from Slippery Rock, and Charles Frank, a sophomore environmental geoscience major from McMurray, each received Taco Bell Foundation Live Más Scholarships, given by the fast-food chain's foundation to employees who are pursuing higher education and "using their passion to ignite change in their communities and beyond."
Peachock, who works at the Slippery Rock Taco Bell, received $10,000, and Frank, who works at the Peters Township location, was awarded $25,000. They were two of 28 recipients from Pennsylvania and 725 nationwide to receive scholarships totaling $7 million as part of the Live Más program that awards money to college students who are employees and non-employees.
"I was elated," Peachock said. "It's really cool that a big company like Taco Bell is able to do something like this."
As part of the third year of his doctoral program in physical therapy at SRU, Peachock is required to complete two 15-week clinical internships at 40 hours per week. Peachock, who has worked at Taco Bell about 12 hours per week during the last year, said that the scholarship will allow him to "live more," as Taco Bell's Live Más slogan suggests.
"It's a huge weight off my shoulders to not have to worry about having a job next year during clinicals," Peachock said. "I can have the time to focus on my growth as a clinician during the week, and I can use the weekends to actually relax."
To apply for the scholarship, applicants had to submit a two-minute video of themselves explaining how they are using their passion to make a positive change in their community or the world and how their education helps enable them to pursue their passion.
"The main message I was trying to drive home was that I chose physical therapy as my future profession because I want to help people live happier and healthier lives," Peachock said. "Whether it's helping someone with a chronic, achy shoulder or a sprained ankle, as physical therapists, we really do have the opportunity to change the community and make people's lives better."
More information about the Live Más Scholarship Program is available on the Taco Bell Foundation website. More information about the SRU physical therapy doctoral program, is available on the SRU website.
Frank was not available to comment for this story.
MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu