Julia Xu, a senior at Great Neck South High School, has been selected as a regional finalist in the 2026 Coca-Cola Scholars Program.
Xu will advance to the final round of the selection process for the opportunity to become a Coca-Cola scholar and receive a $20,000 college scholarship.
A total of 250 regional finalists were selected from 1,238 semifinalists nationwide. These high school seniors have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and service in school and community activities.
Less than a quarter of 1% of applicants made it to this point in the selection process.
For the final selection phase, regional finalists will participate in interviews in early February. Following the interviews, 150 students will be designated as Coca-Cola scholars.
Collectively, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will award $3.1 million in college scholarships to these outstanding young leaders.
“We believe that identifying these young leaders throughout the country and encouraging their passion for serving others not only empowers the students, but also lifts up those around them,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, president of the foundation.
“The Coca-Cola system is dedicated to giving back to the communities they serve, and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is proud to be a part of that commitment.”
A joint effort of Coca-Cola bottlers across the country and The Coca-Cola Company, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program is the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship program in the United States.
With the addition of the 2026 class, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will have provided more than 7,200 Coke scholars nationwide with over $90 million in scholarships over 38 years.
