SIU student wins tuition giveaway from Dr Pepper

An SIU student was a big winner at the annual Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway, held as part of college football conference championship weekend.

Marianne Holmes, an SIU student from Farmington, Ill., was one of three students across the nation to earn $125,000 in tuition money.

Holmes plans to use the money to help her become a trilingual physician assistant, giving medical care to deaf and Spanish-speaking communities. She hopes to break down language barriers to provide the best care for patients in the future.

Dr Pepper awarded even more student finalists with tuition through competition-based giveaways and surprise virtual giveaways featuring friends of the brand including YouTube sensation Dude Perfect and five-time American Music Award Winner Kane Brown.

A total of $2 million in tuition was distributed this college football season - the largest giveaway in the program's 12-year history.