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The Coca-Cola Foundation and American Indian College Fund Honor 46 Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Winners

Denver, Colorado – March 30, 2010 – The Coca Cola Foundation and the American Indian College Fund honored 46 American Indian scholarship recipients at its 2009-10 Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship banquet at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Student Conference in Chandler, Arizona.

The Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship was established to provide $5,000 for tuition and fees and to fund unmet need for a student’s first year in college. If students maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average and show strong participation in campus and community life, the scholarship follows the student throughout their academic career while attending a tribal college. Kirk Glaze, the Community Affairs Manager of the Coca-Cola Foundation, was honored by Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, for the foundation’s support of American Indian education. Williams wrapped Glaze in a limited edition Pendleton blanket.

Jessie Bennett, the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship recipient at the Institute of American Indian Arts, delivered a speech to her fellow students about the importance of education in her life. “Thank you for investing in not only my future, but the future of my children, community, and tribe,” Bennett said. “I will never forget the opportunity that I was given and I will do as much as I can to support others in their efforts to get a college education.”

About the American Indian College Fund

With its credo “Educating the Mind and Spirit,” the Denver-based American Indian College Fund is the nation’s largest provider of private scholarships for American Indian students, providing more than 5,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education at the nation’s 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. For more information about the American Indian College Fund or to make a donation, visit www.collegefund.org.