More than 500 Coca-Cola Scholars ventured to Atlanta last month to uncap their potential at The Coca-Cola Scholars Leadership Summit. The weekend-long event, held every five years, invites alumni from all 25 Scholar classes to further develop their leadership skills, grow as community influencers, and strengthen the already successful alumni network.
This year’s summit called for another celebration, as 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Since 1989, the Coke Scholars Foundation has provided more than 5,000 scholarships to high school seniors across the United States who demonstrate academic excellence, exceptional leadership skills, and dedication to service.
The program provides much more than a financial award, however. The lifelong connections and camaraderie it nurtures truly set it apart from other scholarship programs.
Over the past 25 years, more than 2 million students have applied, and 5,287 have been selected. It’s a tight-knit bunch that is growing even closer. That was the focus behind creating the first Coke Scholars Leadership Summit in 2008, which connected scholars from every class, ranging from Ivy League undergrads and city council members to influential CEOs and successful entrepreneurs.
It’s a network J. Mark Davis, president of The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, calls “one big family.”