Celebrating the 2012 Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy Scholar!

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is an additional $20,000 National award given to a Coca-Cola Scholar annually.  The Scholarship was instituted by the Alumni Advisory Board in 2008 and is funded by Alumni of the Scholars Program.  In selecting the recipients of the Alumni Legacy Scholarship, the Alumni Advisory Board and National Selection Committee look for candidates who will become active and passionate Coca-Cola Scholar alumni.  In addition, recipients are stand-out Scholars who possess the following characteristics: (1) true difference-makers with strong initiative and powerful, strong voices; (2) a deep passion for creating, leading and administering their own vessels to educate, enrich, and/or serve others; (3) long-term perspective and goals; (4) “people persons” with infectious and enthusiastic personalities.  Once selected, the recipient of the Alumni Legacy Scholarship is invited to serve on the CCSF Alumni Advisory Board (“AAB”) during their junior and senior year of college.

In 2010 the Alumni Legacy Scholarship was renamed the “Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy Scholarship” after Sandy Williams, Chairman of the Scholars Foundation Board for 14 years and Chairman/CEO of Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works.  Sandy has always been an active voice and strong supporter of Coca-Cola Scholars, which made him the perfect person to name this award after.

This year’s Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy recipient is Colton Jang from Campolindo High School in Moraga, CA.  We asked Colton to share a bit about the projects that mean the most to him and his reaction when he found out that he was named the 2012 Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy Scholarship recipient.  Here’s what he had to say:

“The most important rule of my Boy Scout troop is simple – if you have something good to share, share it. Whether it’s a quicker way to tie a clove hitch or a perfect spot to watch the sun set, sharing something with others multiplies its impact. Last year, I took this to heart and decided to share one of my favorite ideas with my community – microfinance. Microfinance is a simple and sustainable concept; fighting poverty through investment in small businesses, not handouts. I founded the Lamorinda Kiva Club at my school to raise awareness and create a microloan fund that will stay with the school for years. Without adult supervision or official school sponsorship, microfinance has become a school-wide movement. The club has over 150 members and has loaned over $10,000 to businesses in nearly 40 countries.

When I learned that I had been selected as a Coca-Cola Scholar, there was an indecent amount of shouting and screaming and fist pumping (I’m an excitable person). Being selected as the 2012 Sandy Williams Alumni Legacy Scholar was much different – after meeting so many brilliant and inspiring people in Atlanta, I could hardly believe that I had been singled out for such an honor. It still hasn’t quite set in, but I’m greatly looking forward to being on the Alumni Advisory Board in 2015 and sharing what I can with future generations of Coke Scholars.”

Colton will be attending Yale University this fall and is looking forward to connecting with other Coke Scholars when he gets there.