Two Northeast State Honors students have been named Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars.
Matthew Bennett and Sydnee Merritt were among 207 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members nationwide named as 2017 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars. They will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The two Scholars were selected from a pool of almost 1,000 applicants from across the nation.
“I actually applied on the last day the application was open,” said Merritt, a second-year student at Northeast State. “I was pretty excited when I got the news.”
Merritt is a General Studies major and Northeast State Honors student. She is a member of the College’s Toastmasters Club. She serves as a peer mentor this semester for new Tennessee Promise students. She also spends time as a Big Sister in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization for children.
Sydnee Merritt
Bennett is an Honors student with a double major in History and English. He serves as vice president of the student DREAM Club and is a member of the College’s Fantasy Sci-Fi Guild. He also serves as a peer mentor for Tennessee Promise students.
“I was a little nervous at first becoming a mentor because it is such an important responsibility,” he said. “But I want to go above and beyond for the students I mentor to help them see what they can do.”
The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps new Phi Theta Kappa members defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are also encouraged to assume leadership roles by participating in Society programs and are selected based on scholastic achievement, community service, and leadership potential.
“I am so pleased to see not only chapter officers but chapter members taking advantage of the generous scholarship opportunities available through Phi Theta Kappa,” said Jane Honeycutt, Northeast State professor and faculty advisor to the Alpha Iota Chi chapter.
Merritt plans to attend East Tennessee State University to major in Marketing. She said the engagement with professors and peers was the best recipe for academic success in college.
“If you want to do well as a student talk to your professors get involved in learning,” she said. “It pays to get that face-to-face relationship rather than your professor knowing you only by your name on a paper.”
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. The remaining amount is supported by donations to the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and provides Leaders of Promise Global Scholarships, earmarked for international students.
Matthew Bennett
Bennett earned an award for his work of fiction, Forlorn Stranger, in last year’s Echoes and Images student art and literature competition. A Grundy, Va., native, he plans to pursue his bachelor’s and graduate degrees to become a professor of both English and History.
“I’ve been writing since I was five years old when I got a journal,” said Bennett. “I had a terrific teacher in eighth grade who told me I could do anything I wanted to do. I want to be the best person I can be to make the world a better place and help students be the best they can be.”
Bennett and Merritt are members of Alpha Iota Chi, Northeast State’s chapter of the PTK Honor Society. Alpha Iota Chi has earned several regional and national awards for students and chapter achievements. To qualify for membership in Phi Theta Kappa, a student must be enrolled full-time in an associate degree program, have completed at least 12 hours of college-level coursework, and have a minimum 3.5-grade point average.
The Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program was launched in 2001 to assist new Phi Theta Kappa members in obtaining an associate degree and encourage participation in Society programs. The funds provided by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation not only aid college completion but also give students the opportunity to engage in Society programs and develop leadership skills to become future leaders in their communities.
Two Northeast State Honors students have been named Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars.
Matthew Bennett and Sydnee Merritt were among 207 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members nationwide named as 2017 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars. They will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The two Scholars were selected from a pool of almost 1,000 applicants from across the nation.
“I actually applied on the last day the application was open,” said Merritt, a second-year student at Northeast State. “I was pretty excited when I got the news.”
Merritt is a General Studies major and Northeast State Honors student. She is a member of the College’s Toastmasters Club. She serves as a peer mentor this semester for new Tennessee Promise students. She also spends time as a Big Sister in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization for children.
Bennett is an Honors student with a double major in History and English. He serves as vice president of the student DREAM Club and is a member of the College’s Fantasy Sci-Fi Guild. He also serves as a peer mentor for Tennessee Promise students.
“I was a little nervous at first becoming a mentor because it is such an important responsibility,” he said. “But I want to go above and beyond for the students I mentor to help them see what they can do.”
The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps new Phi Theta Kappa members defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are also encouraged to assume leadership roles by participating in Society programs and are selected based on scholastic achievement, community service, and leadership potential.
“I am so pleased to see not only chapter officers but chapter members taking advantage of the generous scholarship opportunities available through Phi Theta Kappa,” said Jane Honeycutt, Northeast State professor and faculty advisor to the Alpha Iota Chi chapter.
Merritt plans to attend East Tennessee State University to major in Marketing. She said the engagement with professors and peers was the best recipe for academic success in college.
“If you want to do well as a student talk to your professors get involved in learning,” she said. “It pays to get that face-to-face relationship rather than your professor knowing you only by your name on a paper.”
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. The remaining amount is supported by donations to the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and provides Leaders of Promise Global Scholarships, earmarked for international students.
Bennett earned an award for his work of fiction, Forlorn Stranger, in last year’s Echoes and Images student art and literature competition. A Grundy, Va., native, he plans to pursue his bachelor’s and graduate degrees to become a professor of both English and History.
“I’ve been writing since I was five years old when I got a journal,” said Bennett. “I had a terrific teacher in eighth grade who told me I could do anything I wanted to do. I want to be the best person I can be to make the world a better place and help students be the best they can be.”
Bennett and Merritt are members of Alpha Iota Chi, Northeast State’s chapter of the PTK Honor Society. Alpha Iota Chi has earned several regional and national awards for students and chapter achievements. To qualify for membership in Phi Theta Kappa, a student must be enrolled full-time in an associate degree program, have completed at least 12 hours of college-level coursework, and have a minimum 3.5-grade point average.
The Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program was launched in 2001 to assist new Phi Theta Kappa members in obtaining an associate degree and encourage participation in Society programs. The funds provided by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation not only aid college completion but also give students the opportunity to engage in Society programs and develop leadership skills to become future leaders in their communities.
Share this:
Like this: