Head of the Class
As an NFL Hall of Fame lineman, Anthony Muñoz’s impact on the football field was tremendous. But his impact on the lives of youth in the Cincinnati community has been even greater.
On Tuesday, April 30, The Anthony Muñoz Foundation (AMF) held their annual Straight ‘A’ Luncheon at The Lempicka by Jeff Ruby, where they recognized 18 inspiring Tristate seniors. Each of the students honored overcome adversity to excel in the “Straight A’s” defined by Foundation – Academic excellence, Athletic achievement, Actively serving in the community while possessing a strong Ambition, having a winning Attitude and an ability to overcome Adversity.
“I think a lot of what we do at the Foundation stems from my upbringing and the things I’ve gone through. Being raised by a single mom – we didn’t have a whole lot, but we worked hard and were lucky enough to have people in our community who believed in us,”Muñoz said. “Being able to honor young men and women that are choosing positive paths and achieving despite the adversity in their way; that's what we want to do.”
Through donations from Mike’s Carwash, the Foundation awarded $45,000 in scholarships though the Straight ‘A’ Program. The Mike’s Carwash and Bengals’ “2 Day Who Dey” promotion raised over $59,990 for the Foundation, which will go toward the Foundation’s Impact Programs.
In all, nine female and nine male recipients were each awarded a $2,000 scholarship to help further their education. From the 18 recipients chosen by the selection committee, Muñoz selected the Straight ‘A’ Scholarship Male and Female Students of the Year to receive an additional scholarship award.
Maleighna Mondal of East Central High School, Emma Pinson of Little Miami High School, and Juan Torres of Hughes STEM High School were awarded the 2024 Straight ‘A’ Scholarship Overall Female and Male Students of the Year. Mondal, Pinson, and Torres received an additional $3,000 scholarship, for a total of $5,000, to use toward their college education.
The 2024 Selection Committee was Brian Dahm, Joe Dahm, Rico Grant, John Jones, Alison Montoya, and Anya Sanchez.
“We were thrilled to be able to partner with the Bengals and the Anthony Muñoz Foundation to raise money to youth”, said Dahm, president of Mike’s Carwash. “We’re grateful to our customers for supporting the Anthony Muñoz Foundation through out Two Day Who Dey promotion. Since teaming up with Anthony’s Foundation, Mike’s has raised more than $435,000 through our Bengals partnership.”
