“Pay It Forward” is a one-week paid program where students from various Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are given first-hand experience in a range of roles available at Coca-Cola, including operations management, packaging, pricing, event planning and philanthropy.

 

“I applied for the “Pay it Forward” internship because I wanted to develop my professionalism skills in my early collegiate career within a global company like Coca-Cola,” said Muhindi, a public relations major from Kenya. “I hope to have a great experience, and earn a chance to work for them in the future.”

The internship experience is a part of the company-wide “Pay It Forward” program, which aims to provide African-American youth with opportunities to celebrate students’ achievements and further their success. The application process included applicants crafting a story of themselves, uploading a 1-2 minute video explaining why they are choosing the Coca-Cola company, and a “selfie” with one of their favorite Coca-Cola products.

“We are proud to invest in the future workforce of America and are looking forward to working with the ‘Pay it Forward’ 2018 Interns,” said John H. Sherman, president and chief executive officer, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED in a release. “Our goal through this program is to encourage these outstanding young adults and enable them to further develop career goals as they plan for their next phase in life.”

Muhindi encourages all students to apply and participate in internships whenever possible.

“I would like to encourage those students who are hoping to get internships in the future to believe in the desires of their heart and go for what you like because nothing beats a determined soul with a focused mind.”

He plans on continuing his education up to the doctorate level, and then moving back to serve his community in Kenya.

Southern University will host three “Pay it Forward” interns who will be at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company facility in Baton Rouge, July 29 – August 3.

Source: WAFB, Saturday, July 14th 2018, 5:48 pm CDT,  Information provided by Southern University