Every year, seemingly countless North Allegheny students are recognized for their academic excellence with a variety of prestigious awards and scholarships. This year’s senior class has two that have been named 2019 Coca Cola Scholars out of 150 students across the country.

Luke Turkovich and Christopher Lee have each been awarded a $20,000 scholarship granted to them by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Winning this award places both Turkovich and Lee into an elite group currently made up of more than 6,300 Coke Scholars and Coke Scholar alumni from across the nation.

“The North Allegheny community is extremely proud of both Christopher and Luke’s accomplishments,” said Dr. Kreider. “Being designated as a 2019 Coca-Cola Scholar is an outstanding honor.”

“I don’t think the good news has completely sunk in yet, but I am very grateful for this generous scholarship and for the support of my parents, teachers, and community,” said Christopher, in response to winning the scholarship. “I am also really happy to share this honor with my friend Luke!”

Like Lee, Turkovoch is still a little shocked about winning this award.

“First off, I’m not entirely sure how I ended up getting this scholarship,” he said. “I know it’s highly competitive with many qualified applicants, so I’m sure there’s a lot of luck involved. I just feel very blessed to be selected.”

Lee and Turkovich were selected from a pool of 95,715 applicants from across the nation through a three stage selection process. Applications opened in August and lasted until late October. Applicants were then notified by the foundation of their status in each round, and the scholars were notified in February.

“The first round asked about academic achievements and extracurriculars, the second round included short essays, and the final round was an interview with a panel of Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation representatives and alumni,” Lee explained.

According to Luke, the application process was also not excessively challenging.

“They make it really easy and streamlined for all of the applicants,” he said.

The scholars were not only awarded this scholarship because of their academic achievement, but they were also recognized for the leadership they have shown at school and in their communities in creating solutions to better the world.

“[Luke and Christopher winning the scholarship] is certainly a reflection of their scholarly commitment, leadership capacity, and desire to have a positive impact on our society,” said Dr. Kreider. 

The Coca Cola Scholars Foundation aims to celebrate young leaders like Luke and Christopher and empower those who strive to make a positive impact in the world with the help of the growing family of scholar alumni. The goals of this program are simply to grant “college scholarships to exceptional high school students dedicated to leadership, service, and action that positively affects others.”

Lee believes that the scholarship can be achieved by anyone with the work ethic.

“You can do it, too,” Lee said. “Do the best you can in school, and pursue activities you are excited to be involved in. Make sure you apply and spend some time with your application so that it genuinely reflects your passions and hard work.”

Luke emphasized the importance of staying true to yourself and trying to make a difference in the world.

“Do what YOU are passionate about to make a difference,” said Luke. “That doesn’t mean joining a million clubs necessarily; you need to make a large impact on your community, one way or another, because that is what they are looking for”

In addition to receiving a collegiate scholarship, recipients of this award will also have the opportunity to travel to Atlanta, Georgia on April 4th to the 7th for the annual Coca Cola Scholars weekend. There, scholars will be congratulated with a celebratory banquet and met with a warm welcome by alumni into the growing family. 

“I am eager to attend Coke Scholars Weekend to meet the awesome people who I feel humbled to be a part of,” said Turkovich.

The 2019 senior class marks the 31st year of the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation; over $31 million dollars have been collectively awarded over the course of these 31 years.  Being a Coke alumni is more than just receiving a scholarship. 30 years later, the first recipients of this award are continuing to make a positive impact in the world around them, with new projects every year, and guiding aspiring leaders in their journey to changing the world. Together, the group strives to continuously bring a greater positive impact to many others, year after year.

For more information about the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, check out the website linked below.  

https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/