Contact: Cassandra Mickens, Coca-Cola UNITED
cassandramickens@ccbcu.com
(205) 612-6779

For Immediate Release

Coca-Cola UNITED Accepting Applications for 2023 Pay It Forward Internship  

34 students representing 17 HBCUs to earn $2K stipend

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Jan. 30, 2023) – Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. (UNITED) is seeking applicants for the 2023 class of its Pay It Forward internship program, a week-long experience in which students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) celebrate their achievements, further their success and earn a $2,000 stipend.

Students ages 18 and older who attend one of the 17 HBCUs in Coca-Cola UNITED’s six-state footprint are encouraged to submit applications beginning Jan. 30, 2023, through April 2, 2023. Students must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate at a participating HBCU to apply. Coca-Cola UNITED’s 17 partner HBCUs are:

• Alabama State University
• Albany State University
• Alcorn State University
• Clark Atlanta University
• Dillard University
• Fort Valley State University
• Grambling State University
• Miles College
• Morehouse College
• Morris Brown College
• Savannah State University
• Southern University
• Spelman College
• Stillman College
• Talladega College
• Tuskegee University
• Xavier University of Louisiana

In 2015, Coca-Cola UNITED teams in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama established Pay It Forward to provide young adults opportunities to succeed. Since that time, more than 100 students have participated in the program.

Pay It Forward offers students first-hand experience in a range of roles at Coca-Cola UNITED, including sales, packaging, production, marketing, pricing, event planning, philanthropy and community relations. Students will engage with various departments to learn more about the organization and how to conduct business most effectively during a fun and informative development session to be held late summer 2023.

Students are reviewed and selected based on their completed applications. A$2,000 stipend will be awarded to each student at the end of the program, as well as a lifetime of Coca-Cola Brand Ambassadorship.

One of the main goals of Pay It Forward is to teach  students, to put it simply, how to go to work. The program immerses them in the facets of the business and teaches them how to network with others and other important skills that will prepare them for the job market.

“Mentorship and career development opportunities through programs such as Pay It Forward are at the heart of what we do,” said Mike Suco, Coca-Cola UNITED president and CEO. “We support these talented young adults by cultivating and celebrating their ambitions as they begin their bright careers.”

For more information and application details on the annual Pay It Forward student opportunity, click here.

–  Stand UNITED –

About Coca-Bottling Company United, Inc.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc., founded in 1902 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is the second largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler in North America and the third largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the U.S.  Now with its fifth generation of family working in the business, Coca-Cola UNITED has more than 10,000 associates located in more than 50 facilities across six southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee).  Historically significant franchises within our Coca-Cola UNITED family include Chattanooga, the world’s first Coca-Cola bottler; Atlanta, home of the worldwide Coca-Cola System; and Columbus, Georgia, development site of the original Coca-Cola formula.

Coca-Cola UNITED is engaged in the production, marketing, and distribution of a diverse portfolio of leading sparkling (Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Coke Zero Sugar®, Dr Pepper®, Sprite®, AHA® and Fanta®) and still (smartwater®, vitaminwater®, Dasani®, POWERADE®, BODYARMOR®, Fairlife®, Gold Peak®, Monster® and Minute Maid®) non-alcoholic brands under exclusive franchise agreements principally with The Coca-Cola Company® and Keurig Dr Pepper®.

For more than 120 years, Coca-Cola UNITED has remained true to its foundational core values of Quality, Excellence, Integrity and Respect.  Local relationships, personalized customer service and strong community engagement have been the foundation of our business for more than a century.  Each year, millions of dollars are invested in our local communities, supporting education, community development, sustainability and nonprofit organizations that empower and impact those in need. Learn more at cocacolaunited.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.