Chipotle Scholarship Awarded

Chipotle Mexican Grill awarded the first $1,000 Chipotle Mexican Grill UNL Advertising Scholarship to Dan Sheppard, a junior in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, on Nov. 15, 2007. The award recognizes an Ad major who has demonstrated outstanding creativity in and out of the classroom. This scholarship is the first in what will become an annual award celebrating the passion and inspired creative execution exemplified by an undergraduate in UNL's Advertising program.

The scholarships will be generated from a fund that began when Sheppard won prize money in Chipotle's inaugural :30 Seconds of Fame competition in 2006. The contest encouraged college advertising students from across the country to enter their best 30 second advertisement in a competition judged on creativity and originality. A sophomore at the time, Sheppard took second prize in the contest, earning $10,000 for himself and a matching $10,000 to his school. Judges, including Chipotle marketing executives, noted that Sheppard's spot, DADY, made them laugh not only the first time they saw it, but every time they watched it.

Over the past year, Chipotle has generously grown that original prize money to an endowment fund totaling $20,000, which means a scholarship will be awarded every year in perpetuity.

Sheppard again entered the 30 Seconds of Fame ad contest, now in its second year, and his spot has been recognized among 11 other finalist entries. The 2007 contest finalists can be viewed at www.chipotle.com.