Two Harper students named Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars

Two Harper College students have been named Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars for their scholastic achievement, community service and leadership potential.

Albert Lim, 18, of Mount Prospect and Nidhiben Patel, 20, of Palatine were among the 207 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society students selected from more than 1,100 applicants worldwide.

The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program provides new Phi Theta Kappa members with financial resources to help defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs.

"The funds provided by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation not only aid college completion, but provide students with the opportunity to engage in society programs and develop leadership skills to become future leaders in their communities," said Nancy Rieves, CEO of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation. "Research shows that Phi Theta Kappa members are four times more likely to complete a college degree than their peers. The Leaders of Promise Scholarships recognize students for what they have achieved already and assure that financial need isn't an obstacle to achieving their academic goals."

Patel, who's pursuing a bachelor's degree in biology, will transfer to the University of Illinois-Chicago in the fall. Her career goal is to practice medicine as a physician assistant.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be honored with such a great scholarship that can help my educational path in the greatest way possible," Patel said.

Lim is studying computer science and plans to transfer to a four-year university, possibly the University of Illinois. In addition to working in the field, he sees himself returning to academia as a part-time professor.

"The scholarship basically paid for my spring 2016 semester," Lim said. "I was really happy because I got to remove some of the (financial) burden off my mother."

Phi Theta Kappa, headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,285 chapters on college campuses. More than 3 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 134,000 students inducted annually.