Coca-Cola Pays It Forward

The Coca-Cola United Local Pay It Forward 2019 Internship Contest helps provide our African-American youth with diverse opportunities, honor their achievements, and accommodate them with reaching their fullest potentials. Students whom are selected, receive firsthand experience in the Coca-Cola industry and are even able to work in roles ranging from operations management, to packaging and pricing.
Students who are 18 years and older and fully enrolled as an undergraduate at any HBCU that is within the seven-state footprint where Coca-Cola UNITED operates are eligible to apply. Dillard University, Grambling State University, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Alabama State University, and Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College are just some of the few colleges that are granted this valuable opportunity.
One of Southern’s own was, in fact, awarded this opportunity last year. According to the Coca Cola United website, Nickson Muhindi was awarded the internship in 2018.
Muhindi, a public relations major originally from Kenya, stated that “I applied for the ‘Pay It Forward’ internship because I wanted to develop my professionalism skills in my early collegiate career within a global company like Coca-Cola. I hope to have a great experience and earn a chance to work for them in the future.”
Muhindi encourages all of Southern University students to apply and to also participate in internships whenever they are offered. Furthermore, he plans on furthering his education here at SU until he earns his doctorate, and wants to then move back to Kenya to serve his community.
In the near future, Southern University will host three “Pay It Forward” interns who will be in attendance at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company facility here in Baton Rouge from July 29-August 3, 2019. President and Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, John H. Sherman stated, “We are proud to invest in the future workforce of America and are looking forward to working with the ‘Pay It Forward’ interns.”
This notable opportunity given by Coca-Cola is helping change student’s lives one HBCU at a time.