The Coca-Cola Scholars Program has named N’Jhari Jackson and Funda Eskalen among its regional finalists.
Eskalen, a Land O’ Lakes High School student, and Jackson, who attends Tampa’s Carrollwood Day School, beat out more than 95,000 applicants to become two of the 1,896 semifinalists vying for a $20,000 college scholarship from Coca-Cola. The students are now moving on to the last round of the selection process with 249 others.
After interviews are conducted in mid-February, the beverage giant will award the scholarship to 150 of the finalists, ultimately dubbing them Coca-Cola Scholars. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation plans to give out $3.1 million in total.
Coca-Cola Scholars won’t just score the scholarship, either. In April, they’re also invited to attend Scholars Weekend in Atlanta, where a banquet and leadership development curriculum await.
A collaboration between Coca-Cola bottlers around the country and the Coca-Cola Company, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program is billed as one of the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship programs out there.
“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 Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, in a statement. “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.”
This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 7, 2019.