It’s safe to say Kotryna Staputyte has thousands of reasons to be a fan of Dr. Pepper. The Naperville resident snagged a $100,000 scholarship Dec. 5 by winning the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway during halftime of the Pac-12 Championship game in Santa Clara, Calif.
“I am so grateful to Dr. Pepper,” said Staputyte, who found the contest via Facebook. “This is a very large amount of money that will take so much stress away from the financial part of school. It’s life changing.”
Staputyte was one of 16 finalists from around the country chosen to compete at four college championship games’ halftime contests. She submitted an online video about how she would change the world. In her submission, “Give Every Child a Chance,” the 2014 Naperville Central High School graduate wrote about her friend Dominykas, who has special needs and how he inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.
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“I have witnessed him improve his skills drastically due to the medicine he has obtained and the amazing support systems and friendships he has developed,” said Staputyte, who is studying science at the College of DuPage. “I strive to be the first doctor in my family to improve the lives of children worldwide who are impacted by disabilities.”
With the help of College of DuPage motion picture and television student Matt Miltonberger, Staputyte created a video that caught the attention of Dr. Pepper officials and earned her a trip to California.
On Dec. 4, the contest turned into an athletic challenge where the 20-year-old faced off against three other students in the Pac-12 category by throwing footballs into a large Dr. Pepper can-shaped receptacle.
She was prepared, thanks to College of DuPage mechanical engineering student Tom Almassey, who designed and built a prototype of the Dr. Pepper can that she practiced with during the past few months.
“When she told me about it, I wanted to do anything I could to help,” said Almassey, of Lisle. “Being in engineering, I wanted to get the hands-on experience of making something. She got all the dimensions, and I made it the same as the one she was going to be throwing into, but I cut it in half and added hinges so it would be easier for her to carry from place to place.”
Staputyte would load the receptacle in her car and practice when she could. Her efforts more than paid off. Staputyte advanced to the finals, and on Dec. 5, tossed her way to $100,000 during the televised halftime contest of the Pac-12 game at Levi’s Stadium.
“This whole experience was definitely life changing,” Staputyte said. “Our (the scholarship winners) stories are out there, and they are being heard, and I am so excited about that. I am also really excited Dominykas’ story is out there, because he has changed my life and so many people’s lives.”
Staputyte plans to graduate from College of DuPage in 2016, and hopes to continue her education and attend medical school in the future.
“Because of this, I can focus so much more on learning and studying,” she said. “I hope to impact the medical field even more than I imagined. I can take it even further.”
Jane Donahue is a freelancer for the Naperville Sun.