At Chick-fil-A White Oak Village on Feb. 26, Taylor Powell, a Rise Academy student and employee, was surprised with a $25,000 scholarship as part of Chick-fil-A’s Remarkable Futures Scholarships program. The scholarship will support Powell’s plans to attend the University of Virginia, where she intends to major in psychology and pursue a career as a clinical child psychologist.

Powell was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at age 8, an experience that influenced her decision to help children facing illness.

“She’s a great leader here at Chick-fil-A. She demonstrates a lot of characteristics that we think will be the ones to plant the seeds for the future,” Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew T. Cathy said.

The scholarship is one of 13 $25,000 awards granted nationwide to Chick-fil-A employees in 2025. Chick-fil-A will distribute over $27 million in scholarships to more than 15,000 employees across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico this year. Since 1973, the companyhas awarded more than $215 million in scholarships to over 122,000 individuals.

Cathy made the surprise presentation during the event, held at the restaurant at 4443 Laburnum Ave.