Hamilton Friends

"Hamilton Friends challenged us to do more than we thought possible and to rise to the challenges we face as a society today."

-Danika Young, '06 Hamilton Scholar

Three Hamilton Scholars Awarded By Coca-Cola

Students Receive $10,000 Scholarships from Coca-Cola and Strive for More

Coca-Cola, one of the biggest names in soft drinks, also gives away some of the biggest corporate scholarships to high school and college students in America through its Coca-Cola Scholars program. Hamilton Friends is proud to announce that three of its 2008 Hamilton Award Winners, Alex Hsu, Cesar Alvarez, and Rachel Brill, were selected this year from over 80,000 applicants to be Regional Finalists, each receiving a scholarship of $10,000 to go toward their future college aspirations.

Rachel Brill was interested in Coca-Cola�s Scholarship Program specifically because she noticed they weren�t just interested in her grades. �I was so surprised when they took interest how dance inspires me as well,� Rachel said.

In addition to receiving $10,000 for being a finalist, the students are also one step closer to receiving an additional $10,000 towards this scholarship. Alex, Cesar, and Rachel will be traveling April 2nd- 5th to Atlanta, GA, to interview for a chance to become a National Finalist of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program. Fifty of the 250 National Finalists will receive an additional $10,000.

Both Alex and Rachel see this scholarship as a relief from the overwhelming expense of a college education. �I want this scholarship to be as a way to fund myself later in life too,� Rachel said. �When I go to grad school, I don�t want money and student loans to stand in the way of getting the education I want.�

Every year over 600 Coca-Cola scholarships are awarded through the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. That amounts to Coca-Cola supporting 1,400 college students each year with annual scholarships totaling 3.4 million. The foundation focuses on students who have given back to their communities through volunteering, as well as those who have excelled academically. Coca-Cola sees qualities such as leadership, persistence, and social consciousness in their recipients.

�I�m so excited to be heading to a place where there will be tons of other students who are just as passionate about community service as I am,� Alex said.

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"I had an amazing time in Quetzaltenango. This trip affected me more than any other experience I have ever had in my life... I gained an entirely new perspective on life and I thank Hamilton Friends for providing me with the opportunity to do so."

-Jillian Ogren, '07 Hamilton Scholar and Guatemala Leader Week attendee

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Seattle Leader Week SLIDESHOW!

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CLICK HERE to see a slideshow of the 2009 Seattle Leader Week.