The Coca-Cola Scholars Program is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, a joint effort by The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola bottlers across the country to create the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship program in the United States, according to a release announcing the 2025 recipients. This is the 37th year of program.
This year’s program recognized 150 high school seniors nationwide who each will receive a $20,000 college scholarship. This year’s recipients were selected from a pool of more than 105,000 applications. Coca-Cola Scholars-Select will attend a Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend in Atlanta in early April where they will participate in the Coca-Cola Scholars Leadership Development Institute.
“Being selected as a Coca-Cola Scholar is an incredible recognition of the service I have done to create positive change in my community,” Orduna said. “I am excited to join a network or leaders and visionaries who are just as committed to transformative change in their communities.
“The Coke Scholars Program is much more than a scholarship — it’s a lifelong membership in a community of trailblazers. I’m eager to learn from diverse experiences and perspectives of my fellow scholars, who are spearheading advancements in research, policy, advocacy and entrepreneurship.”
Orduna said he felt a mix of excitement and nervousness when he received an email from the Coca-Cola Scholar Foundation with an update.
“It took a moment for the ‘You are a 2025 Coca-Cola Scholar!’ message to sink in, but all I said was, ‘I just won $20,000.’ Out of 105,000 applicants, only 0.14 percent were chosen, and to be chosen from Arkansas was a reminder of the incredible talent that exists within our state,” Orduna said.