Dec. 8, 2020

USC senior named 2021 Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalist

Upper St. Clair High School senior Christian Chiu was recently named a semifinalist in the 2020-21 Coca-Cola Scholars Program. Christian is one of 73 in Pennsylvania and 1,609 from across the country who were selected from nearly 99,403 applicants. The Coca-Cola Scholars program recognizes high school seniors who have demonstrated academic and civic excellence in their schools and communities.

Semifinalists will submit their application for review by the Program Reading Committee in January. Following the review, 250 will advance as Regional Finalists, with 150 becoming Coca-Cola Scholars and earning $20,000 scholarships. Students are selected to advance to this next phase based on academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities.

“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.” Jane Hale Hopkins, president of the foundation, said. “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.”

Christian is a member of the National Honor Society and has been recognized as a National AP Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Merit Semifinalist. In addition to his academic achievements, he is an accomplished pianist who was named an Honorable Mention awardee in the 2020 YoungArts Awards, sponsored by the National YoungArts Foundation.

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 2021 class, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will have provided more than 6,450 Coke Scholars nationwide with over $75 million in scholarships over the course of 33 years.

The full list of Semifinalists is available online at www.coca-colascholars.org.