Hwang chosen for next level in prestigious scholarship program

Saipan International School’s Cerinn Hwang has been named a semifinalist for the 2017 class of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program. (Contributed Photo)

ATLANTA—Cerinn Hwang, a student at Saipan International School, has been named a semifinalist for the 2017 class of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program. With the 2016 class, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will have provided more than 5,700 scholars nationwide with over $66 million in scholarships.

“As a premier scholarship provider, we recognize our role in helping young people achieve their college goals,” said Mark Davis, president of the foundation. “The economy continues to affect many students’ ability to attend the college of their choice, so it is critical we continue to stay the course. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation received nearly 86,000 applications this year, and the semifinalists are truly some of the most accomplished students in the country.”

Hwang ranks with approximately 1,900 high school seniors who are in the running for 150 college scholarships worth $20,000 each and is the only semifinalist in the CNMI. Students are selected to advance to this next phase based on academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities. The class of 2017 Coca‑Cola Scholars will mark the 29th consecutive year that the foundation has awarded scholarships.

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 fosters lasting connections with its members. No other scholarship program maintains such lifetime connections or nurtures such a unique culture. Coca-Cola Scholar alumni stay in touch through regional councils, special events, and though their local Coca-Cola bottling facilities. In 2006, a Coca-Cola Scholar Alumni Advisory Board was created to build on the efforts of the Coca‑Cola Scholars Foundation through networking, mentoring, collaborations and friendships in order to make an even greater positive impact together.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, a joint effort of Coca-Cola Bottlers across America and The Coca‑Cola Company, is one of the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship programs of its kind in the United States. The program recognizes a diverse group of extraordinary high school seniors who have demonstrated academic and civic excellence in their schools and communities. 

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation was created in 1986 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Coca‑Cola and to establish a legacy for the education of tomorrow’s leaders through college scholarships.

Find the full list of semifinalists from across the country at www.coca-colascholars.org.