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CiCi’s Pizza CEO surprises college student with $10K scholarship

Playing the part of a reporter, CiCi’s Pizza CEO Darin Harris surprised University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota) student Austin Otto with a $10,000 scholarship as the Grand Prize winner of CiCi’s “Stuff Dreams Are Made Of" contest.

September 8, 2015

CiCi’s Pizza CEO Darin Harris, playing the part of a reporter, surprised University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota) student Austin Otto with a $10,000 scholarship as the Grand Prize winner of Cici’s “Stuff Dreams Are Made Of” contest on Sept. 4, according to a company press release.  Harris traveled from Dallas to personally present the student with a $10,000 scholarship as the Grand Prize winner of CiCi’s “Stuff Dreams Are Made Of” contest. Otto thought he was being interviewed by a local reporter about the 3D printing project he was working on at the University, the release stated.

“It’s always fun to surprise someone with good news, but it’s especially rewarding when you know you’re helping a young person achieve his life goals,” said Harris, who revealed his true identity during the interview as Austin’s parents walked in with a large $10,000 check. “Austin is an impressive young man with some great ambitions, so it was a pleasure to get to meet him and to experience in person the passion he has for his education.”

Otto, a sophomore mechanical engineering major at the University of St. Thomas, was one of 1,165 entrants in a Facebook scholarship contest conducted by CiCi’s to celebrate the introduction of its new Stuffed Crust Pizza, the release stated. The contest invited guests to take a photo inside any CiCi’s location and submit the photo —  along with a description (in 50 words or less) of how the scholarship will help the entrant achieve his or her dreams —  on the CiCi’s Facebook page. Entrants then encouraged friends and family to vote for their submission.

The seven images attracting the most votes over the 28-day voting period were the finalists. A judging panel at CiCi’s then ranked the finalists based on originality, creativity and individuality. In addition to Otto, Justin Smith, a freshman at Grand Valley State studying business management, won a $5,000 scholarship as the runner-up, and the five other finalists each received $1,000 scholarships, the release stated.

"Engineering has been my dream since picking up my first Lego brick," said Otto in his official entry. "I have a strong interest in 3D printing and manufacturing/materials. Since I am paying for college myself, a scholarship would help me focus on the rigorous engineering curriculum instead of how to pay my next tuition bill."

CiCi’s Pizza operates nearly 450 restaurants strong in 32 states.