“Dairy farmers have supported nutritional education, research, and partnerships for the past 100 years,” explained Marilyn Hershey, a dairy farmer and board chair of Dairy Management Inc. “Their support of Fuel Up to Play 60 follows the century-long tradition of nourishing strong, healthy communities,” said the Pennsylvania dairy farmer to those attending the GENYOUth annual gala in New York City.

Directly impacting students
“Being a high school student and a soccer player requires a lot of energy. Running from class to class, plus soccer practices and games, can demand a lot from our bodies,” explained Jimena, a Texas-based high school student. “I used to eat whatever I could find to take me through the day,” she said. “But that was not working for me. I was tired all day.”

“When I joined the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, I learned that good healthy food is vitally important. Moreover, being given a platform on which I can learn and find valuable information on how to combine and get a balance of different food groups makes a huge difference,” she went on to say to the audience that included attendees from all walks of life including students, teachers, farmers, nutritionist, and sports celebrities.

“Fuel Up to Play 60 has completely changed the way that I get the energy I need throughout the day and has increased my success academically and physically. This program not only has had an impact on me, but I have seen the way it is influencing the lives of fellow students,” the high schooler explained. “My friends are happier and more energized. Fueling up the right way has changed my performance in class and on the soccer field.”

A growing national movement
“All of this is only the beginning. When I was selected to be a state ambassador for Texas, I had the opportunity to attend this year’s national summit. It was a fantastic experience,” said Jimena with great enthusiasm.

“I have learned to be a better leader and how to get the best out of my team and schoolmates.”

Now in Spanish
“Now there will be even more opportunities for students from across the U.S. to get involved with Fuel Up to Play 60 with the new launching of Fuel Up to Play 60 en Español,” explained Jimena, who then switched to speaking in fluent Spanish. (The following is translated into English.)

“It’s very important for us young people to learn and practice to have healthy nutrition and do physical activities. It makes all the difference in our academic and athletic performance,” said Jimena, a student with Hispanic heritage.

Click on the video below to hear Jimena's presentation.

Fuel Up to Play 60 has been around for several years, thanks to PepsiCo. In 2019, it will be updating the content as well as supporting Latino student ambassadors to attend the 2019 Student Ambassador Summit in Cleveland, Ohio.

To learn more about Fuel Up to Play 60, read: The NFL and dairy farmers are changing lives.