JCTC student receives prestigious Coca-Cola scholarship

Chosen more than 1,000 applicants worldwide, Jefferson Community and Technical College sophomore Thomas Russell has been selected to receive a $1,000 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship.

The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program provides Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members with financial resources while enrolled in an associate degree program.

Russell will earn his Associates in Science degree in May. He plans to transfer to the University of Louisville and eventually become a middle school math teacher.

Russell, who currently holds a 4.0 GPA, said this scholarships means I can focus on my studies. He is involved in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and enjoys helping fellow students with advising. He spends most of his free time studying and plans on taking 18 credit hours in the upcoming semester to finish his course work at Jefferson.

I have worked manual labor jobs most of my life without a vacation said Russell. Jefferson has given me a chance at a career that I would not have been able to attain.

Independent judges evaluate the applications based on scholastic achievement, community service and leadership potential. This year, 207 Phi Theta Kappa members were awarded scholarship money. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation provides $200,000 in funding for the scholarships, with $25,000 set aside for members who are veterans or active members of the U.S. military.