School District Five student named a Coca-Cola Scholar semifinalist

For Immediate Release – November 4, 2024

School District Five student named a Coca-Cola Scholar semifinalist

IRMO – A Lexington-Richland School District Five senior has been named a semifinalist for the 2025 class of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program, moving to the next round of the selection process to become a Coca-Cola Scholar and receive a $20,000 college scholarship.

Gabrielle Goodwin (Spring Hill High School) is one of 22 students selected from South Carolina and one of 1,336 of 105,000 applicants who were selected as semifinalists nationwide. 

"I am honored to be named a semifinalist for this distinguished scholarship and to be among this group of amazing students and people,” Goodwin said. “This is not only an outstanding opportunity financially, but the opportunity to be a member of the worldwide Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation community is even more rewarding. I am excited to move forward in this application process!”

After graduation, Goodwin will be pursuing studies in Business Analytics and Statistics to merge her 10 years of entrepreneurship with her love for math. She is applying to 10 great universities across the United States.

She and the other semifinalists are currently submitting their semifinalist applications to be reviewed by the Program Reading Committee. After this review, 250 will advance as Regional Finalists, with 150 becoming Coca-Cola Scholars and receiving a $20,000 college scholarship.

In addition to receiving college scholarships, those students selected as Coca-Cola Scholars will be welcomed into a vibrant community of alumni that has become a powerful force for positive change in the world. Through networking, collaborations, and friendships, the group strives to make a greater impact together. Initiatives include a podcast called The SIP (The Coke Scholars Ignite Podcast) and the ninth year of a coaching program that partners seasoned alumni with first-year Scholars as they transition to college. Every 5 years, all alumni are invited to a Coca-Cola Scholars Leadership Summit. 

These students were among the 1.27% selected from over 105,000 applicants from across the country to continue through our selection process based on their academic excellence, leadership, and service demonstrated in school and community activities. 

"I am not surprised that Gabby Goodwin has been named a semifinalist for the Coca-Cola Scholars Program,” Spring Hill High School Principal Dr. Michael Lofton said. “You will never meet a young person with more ambition, dedication and compassion than Gabby. From the first day she stepped on this campus until now her senior year, she has excelled in her studies while fully immersing herself in the Spring Hill High School experience. It has been my pleasure and honor to be her principal. I cannot wait to hear about the great things she will do in the future...The Spring Hill WAY!” 

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 37th class, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will have provided more than 7,050 Coke Scholars nationwide with over $87 million in scholarships since 1986.

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