Parkland College Student Named a Coca-Cola Leader of Promise
The Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program assists new Phi Theta Kappa members to obtain an associate degree and encourages participation in Society programs.
A Parkland College student has been named a 2024 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholar.
Luke Williamson of Tolono will receive a $1,000 Leaders of Promise Scholarship, an honor recognizing outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.
“I would like to thank each one of the donors who provided the funding to make a scholarship like this possible,” said Williamson, who studies Communication at Parkland. “Without them, many students, including myself, would not be able to earn this award. The donors are making students' lives better every day and I am grateful for what they have done.”
The scholarship will help Williamson pay for a semester at Parkland College.
“It's a blessing when I earn an award like this because it helps out in so many different ways," Williamson said. “I feel so thankful that I was chosen for this scholarship.”
Williamson plans to graduate from Parkland in May before pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Digital Media at Illinois State University. He aspires to be a full-time cinematographer working mostly on narrative projects. “I have always loved movies, and this is a way for me to be a part of the process.”
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation recognized 200 members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of the two-year college, from across the country for its annual Leaders of Promise awards, totaling more than $200,000. A panel of independent judges selected this year’s recipients from about 1,500 applicants.
Launched in 2001, the Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program assists new Phi Theta Kappa members to obtain an associate degree and encourages participation in Society programs.
Phi Theta Kappa recognizes the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helps them grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations. More information can be found at ptk.org.