Published: June 02, 2008 10:32 pm      

Ridgeway named 2008 regional Coca-Cola Scholar

ATLANTA — Simone Danielle Ridgeway, an exceptional senior at Choctaw County High School in Butler, Ala., has been recognized as one of the country's most outstanding high school seniors by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and has been awarded a $10,000 Regional Coca-Cola Scholarship for college.

Ridgeway, a member of the 20th class of Coca-Cola Scholars, has demonstrated academic excellence and civic excellence in school and in the community.

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 scholarship programs of its kind in the U.S. In Butler, the Foundation is supported by the financial commitment of Meridian Coca-Cola and The Coca-Cola Company. Including the 2008 Class of Coca-Cola Scholars, The Foundation has awarded more than 4,000 Coca-Cola Scholars with a total of $35 million in scholarships.

"Simone Danielle Ridgeway is part of a diverse group of extraordinary high school seniors that have shown a steadfast commitment to educational excellence, leadership and service to the school and community," said Sandy Williams, chairman of the board of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and President of Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works in Corinth. "The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is proud to name Ms. Ridgeway as a 2008 Coca-Cola Regional Scholar."

Ridgeway joined 252 of America's most impressive high school students who competed for the 50 National Scholarships of $20,000 and 200 Regional Scholarships of $10,000 during the Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend, held April 24-27, in Atlanta. Scholars were chosen from an initial applicant pool of nearly 80,000 representing approximately 16,000 high schools nationwide. The 2008 Class of Coca-Cola Scholars interviewed with a National Selection Committee representing education, business, government and arts leaders from across the country — all of them previous Coca-Cola Scholars. The committee evaluated the scholars on their academic achievements, school and community leadership, and their desire to succeed.

During the Scholars Weekend, the 2008 class was also recognized at a banquet held in their honor. Robin Roberts, anchor of Good Morning America, gave the banquet keynote address and encouraged scholars to position themselves for success. Also during the Scholars weekend, the students participated in a seminar, participated in a community service project, toured CNN, the Georgia Aquarium, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and the World of Coca-Cola.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program is one of the most-recognized and respected corporate sponsored scholarships in America. The program 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.