May 28, 2025 -- Mason Wellborn doesn’t just stand out for his athletic talent or academic grit—he stands tall because of the way he leads. Whether commanding the football field, tackling Advanced Placement coursework, or designing his own fashion label, the Walnut Ridge High School senior has built a reputation as a quiet force driven by purpose, passion, and the support of a family deeply rooted in Columbus City Schools (CCS).
Inside Walnut Ridge’s very halls, his uncle works in the Office of Safety and Security and his aunt teaches Business Foundations at Walnut Ridge. Several other relatives hold roles across CCS.
“I had no choice but to be a scholar-athlete,” he said with a laugh.
His high school endeavors earned Wellborn the John McConnell and Worthington Industries Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award, presented by the National Football Foundation-Columbus Chapter. The prestigious award recognized his accomplishments on the football field, academic excellence in the classroom, and unwavering leadership within the school community.
It’s his leadership that stands out most—to both him and his teachers. He recalled serving as a leader early in his football career and realizing he had to define the role for himself.
“A leader does not boss everybody around and tell everyone what to do,” Wellborn said. “Being a leader is being able to get your point across while still being yourself and respecting the other person as well.”
Since then, he’s carried that mindset beyond the football field. Determined to grow academically during his senior year because he felt he was cruising through his classes, Wellborn challenged himself with Advanced Placement (AP) English—despite knowing it wouldn’t come easy.
“That pushed me a lot and allowed me to hear perspectives that allowed me to grow,” he said.
His AP English teacher, Shane Murphy, saw that growth firsthand. He remembers Wellborn not just as a student who worked hard—but as one who welcomed a challenge
“He was always reflective in his writing,” Murphy said. “He would say, ‘I know there are mistakes in there—could you please walk me through them?’ He was never satisfied with good enough.”
To his physical education teacher, Byron Mattox, Wellborn’s creative pursuits and leadership ability go hand in hand. Since meeting him as a sophomore, Mattox relied on him as a gym helper—essentially, an assistant coach, during his junior year.
“I can see him being the one on campus recruiting high school students, showing them around, and talking their parents into letting them attend,” Mattox said.
Next fall, Wellborn will take that same mindset with him to Central State University, where he’ll continue his journey as a scholar-athlete playing football on a scholarship. He hopes to major in graphic design or business and finance—fitting choices for a student who started his own fashion label.
During the pandemic, Wellborn launched Made to Grow Apparel representing resilience and self-expression.Five years later, he found himself interning at the prestigious Columbus Fashion Alliance. In Spring 2025, he brought his designs to life with a pop-up shop at Hops on High in the Short North Arts District.
“I just thought it would be something cool to do,” said Wellborn. “I found that Columbus was top three in the country in fashion,” Wellborn said.
Both Mattox and Murphy describe Wellborn as someone who uplifts others—an encourager, a motivator, and a steady example of what’s possible when hard work meets purpose.
Wellborn, for his part, plans to continue carving his own path.
“Why fit into a box when you can be outside it?” he said.
As he steps into the next chapter at Central State University, Wellborn exemplifies the very essence of a Columbus City Schools Portrait of a Graduate—confident, resilient, and committed to lifelong learning. Whether he's leading on the field, creating in the design studio, or uplifting those around him, Wellborn is more than ready to shape the world beyond high school. And true to his own words, he won’t be boxed in—he’ll be boldly building something all his own.
