Windham High School’s Robert Ledbetter Named Subway® Student-Athlete Scholarship Award Winner

A 2022 Windham High School (WHS) graduate, Robert Ledbetter, was recently awarded the $1,000 Subway® & Aroma Joe’s® Student-Athlete Scholarship by local Subway franchisees and Aroma Joe’s of Maine.  The award began in 2021 and is part of the restaurant chain’s partnership with the Maine Principals’ Association.      

The Student-Athlete Scholarship is funded by Subway® & Aroma Joe’s® and awarded to a senior who displays excellence in the areas of academics, athletics, and community service. Seniors set to graduate in 2022 were eligible to apply, and more than 200 applications were received.  

During his years as an Eagle, Ledbetter competed in football and basketball while excelling in the classroom.  The future University of New England student challenged himself by taking a rigorous class-load of AP and Honors courses during his Junior and Senior years.  He graduated in the top 10 percent of his class while earning eight Scholar-Athlete Awards. Ledbetter was awarded the MPA Principal's Award for Windham High School for Academic Excellence and Citizenship.

The talented student-athlete was also a Southwestern Maine Activities Association (SMAA) All-Academic selection and a Fitzpatrick Trophy Finalist, and Ledbetter was the recipient of the Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Social Justice Award.  This award is given to a high school junior who exemplifies a commitment to understanding and addressing difficult social issues, and who achieves high academic success.

While Ledbetter’s academic and athletic successes were tremendous, his summary of the most “impactful community contribution” stood out to the selection committee.

“During high school, I spoke at a staff summit regarding social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and nearly 400 teachers from across the district were in attendance,” said Ledbetter.  “For ten minutes, I presented ideas, based in research done with renowned social justice leader, Lawrence Alexander, to make our district a safer place for people of all backgrounds and spoke about the positive effects of hiring staff with diverse backgrounds and ethnicities.”  After the presentation, Ledbetter was praised by many attendees.  He has received letters and emails from teachers, school board members, and administrators planning to put the ideas into action in future years. 

“We are honored to recognize Robert for his academic, athletic, and community accomplishments,” said Loren Goodridge, CEO at Aroma Joe’s Coffee/Development Agent at Subway.  “He has proven that students in our great state have the ability to create lasting impacts in their communities.”

Subway® & Aroma Joe’s® Student-Athlete Scholarship Award Winners:

• 2021: Parker Harnett, Yarmouth High School
• 2022: Robert Ledbetter, Windham High School