Kirsten Thiels, a recent graduate of Pineville High School in Pineville, La., is the recipient of a $3,000 Crawford Johnson III and Walker Johnson Jones Scholarship on behalf of Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. (UNITED).

Thiels is the daughter of Scott Thiels, a 23-year associate of Alexandria Coca-Cola Bottling Company, a sales and distribution center of Coca-Cola UNITED.

“Coca-Cola UNITED has been a family-focused company for 120 years,” said Mark Cowart, Alexandria Coca-Cola Sales Center Manager. “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to provide college scholarships to the children and grandchildren of our associates.”

Coca-Cola UNITED established the Crawford Johnson III and Walker Johnson Jones Scholarship in 1995 in honor of former CEO Crawford Johnson III’s retirement and his 45 years of service to the company.  The scholarship expanded in 2014, when Johnson’s daughter, former UNITED Community Relations Director and current Board of Directors member Walker Johnson Jones, retired after 34 of years of service. The program is a testament to the company’s commitment to education and its focus on associates and their families across its six-state bottling territory.

Every year, 20 children, stepchildren, grandchildren or step-grandchildren of Coca-Cola UNITED associates are selected to receive either a $5,000 or $3,000 scholarship, renewable over four years. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic performance, leadership, extracurricular activities and service. For the complete list of 2022 Crawford Johnson III and Walker Johnson Jones Scholarship recipients, click here.