Donation from Coca-Cola Foundation to be used as a scholarship for first generation students
Coca-Cola foundation donating to George Brown College | Photo: GBC
The Coca-Cola Foundation recently announced a gift of $50000 in U.S. dollars to support George Brown students who are the first in their family to attend college.
According to the scholarship announcement on the George Brown website, the Nicola Kettlitz Memorial Award will be granted to full-time first generation students who express financial need, demonstrate leadership, community involvement and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Ron Soreanu, Coca-Cola’s director of public affairs, said the scholarship fund is named after Nicola Kettlitz, the recently deceased former president of Coca-Cola Ltd.
“Nicola was to us the embodiment of the values of Coca-Cola and the inspiration our company represents around the world,” Soreanu said. “We hope that this scholarship will help to inspire a generation of leaders who will continue to have a positive impact on their families, communities, and the world.”
The Coca-Cola company choose George Brown for this award because of the community relationship that the company has with George Brown, said Soreanu.
Discussing the role of scholarships in shaping a student’s life, Soreanu said, “I think it is about inspiring young students to be able to pursue your dreams. It is about identifying people who have the potential to do great things in their life and enabling them to reach for the stars.”
Coca-Cola has also recently run campaigns like “Hug Me” on George Brown campus. The Hug Me campaign involved a Coca-Cola vending machine installed in the cafeteria of George Brown College which dispensed a can of Coca-Cola when someone hugged the machine.
Soreanu said that the campaign was an example of an experience that only
Coca-Cola could offer. Though he said that he is currently not aware of any other promotional plans, he suggested that the company is always looking for ways to engage with George Brown students.
