Fort Worth Country Day senior wins 2022 Davey O’Brien high school scholarship award
Fort Worth Country Day senior Rob Batton was the recipient of the 2022 Davey O’Brien High School Scholarship Award on Tuesday at The Fort Worth Club.
The award, which is named after the legendary Heisman trophy winning TCU quarterback Davey O’Brien, elects finalists and winners on the basis of scholastic achievements, community service, character, leadership and varsity sports participation. The scholarship, underwritten by Higginbotham and Simmons Bank, is presented each January to an exceptional senior student-athlete in North Texas.
“It’s quite an honor,” Batton said. “Personally, I didn’t think it was going to be me. Everyone in the room was worthy of the award. It was an honor to be one of the finalists so it came as a surprise, a wonderful surprise and I’m so excited.”
Batton, who also thanked his family, teachers and coaches for their support, plans to attend the University of Virginia and study creative writing. He said it’s a passion of his and he’s excited to pursue it.
Batton receives a $30,000 scholarship and will be honored alongside National Quarterback Award winner Max Duggan (TCU) at the 46th Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club on Feb. 20.
The other four finalists included Branden Browning (Mabank), Camryn Dyke (Richardson), Matthew Spivey (Denton Guyer) and Srija Venna (Hebron). All four student-athletes received $2,500 scholarships.
“We are so honored to have these five individuals associated with the Davey O’Brien Foundation as High School Scholarship Award finalists,” David O’Brien Jr., Chairman of the High School Scholarship Selection Committee, said in a press release prior to the event. “Once again we had an extremely challenging task of selecting the finalists from an amazingly talented group of applicants from all over North Texas.”
Batton is a member of the football, wrestling and track and field teams at Country Day.
He received All-Southwest Preparatory Conference honors and was team captain as a two-way starter on both the offensive and defensive lines.
“It’s wonderful to represent Country Day in this capacity,” Batton said. “I have a deep love for the school and the incredible community.”
Batton is also a National Merit Semifinalist, AP Scholar and member of the Cum Laude Society. He carries a 98.56 grade-point average on a 100-point scale and has been the school’s Honor Council president during the past two years.
“Because of Rob, Country Day is getting a by product of the good young man he is,” said Peggy Wakeland, FWCD Division Head. “Country Day is proud of all our students, but the leadership he shows at our school isn’t artificial. He leads our students and models the behavior we expect from a leader and for me, one of Rob’s greatest attributes is his leadership.”
Added Kristin Larsen, FWCD Director of College Counseling, “For Country Day, to have Rob being recognized is quite an honor. We’ve had finalist from the school in the past, but not a winner for some time. We are particularly proud of him and all he has accomplished, but also the recognition from this important foundation.”
