Seven exceptional high school seniors from Coca-Cola UNITED’s local bottling footprint are among the 2022 class of Coca-Cola Scholars, each of whom will receive a $20,000 college scholarship.
A total of 150 high school seniors were selected from an initial pool of 68,000-plus applications from across the country based on their academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities as part of a three-stage selection process.
UNITED footprint Coca-Cola Scholars are (in alphabetical order):
- Jane Grey Battle, Mountain Brook High School, Birmingham, Ala.
- Ameya Jadhav, Denmark High School, Alpharetta, Ga.
- Allie Johnson, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Harvey, La.
- Stella Kwon, Brookwood High School, Grayson, Ga.
- Ashini Modi, Caddo Parish Magnet High School, Shreveport, La.
- Kaden Oquelí-White, Jesuit High School, Slidell, La.
- Kingson Wills, C.E. Byrd High School, Shreveport, La.
A joint effort of Coca-Cola bottlers across the country and The Coca-Cola Company, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program is the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship program in the United States. With the addition of the 2022 class, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will have provided more than 6,600 Coke Scholars nationwide with over $78 million in scholarships over the course of 34 years.
“We believe that identifying these young leaders throughout the country and encouraging their passion for serving others not only empowers the students, but also lifts up those around them.” said Jane Hale Hopkins, President of the Foundation. “The Coca-Cola system is dedicated to giving back to the communities they serve, and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is proud to be a part of that commitment.”
In addition to receiving college scholarships, those students selected as Coca-Cola Scholars will be welcomed into a vibrant and growing family of alumni that have become a powerful force for positive change in the world. Through networking, collaborations and friendships, the group strives to make a greater impact together. Recent initiatives include a podcast called The SIP and the sixth year of a coaching program that partners seasoned alumni with first-year Scholars as they transition to college. Every 5 years, all alumni are invited to a Coca-Cola Scholars Leadership Summit.
Coca-Cola UNITED’s tie with Coca-Cola Scholars dates back to former UNITED President and CEO Crawford Johnson III, who, in his role as chair of the Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association, led the creation of the program to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Coca-Cola in 1986.
For the full list of 2022 Coca-Cola Scholars, click here.