Top Local Student From Barrington Named 2020 Coca-Cola Scholar

Barrington High School senior Aarthi Koripelly has been named a 2020 Coca-Cola Scholar. Roughly 0.15% of applicants are given this honor. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is one of the most recognized and respected achievement-based scholarships in America. It was created in 1986 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Coca-Cola and to establish a legacy for the education of tomorrow's leaders through college scholarships. With its 31st class of Coca-Cola Scholars, the Foundation has provided more than $69 million in scholarships to over 6,150 program alumni who together have become a powerful force for positive change. Learn more at www.coca-colarscholars.org.

According to the Coca-Cola Scholars Program website, high school seniors are invited to apply for the $20,000 scholarship, which is awarded to 150 students each year. Koripelly is one of 150 high school seniors selected from a pool of 93,075 applications from across the country based on academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities. She has been actively involved in her community through FIRST robotics, Leo Club, Girl Code, and research at the University of Chicago. She also enjoys writing for various social media platforms, such as The Trill Project.

Scholars will be part of a Scholars Weekend in Atlanta, GA where they will serve as the guests of honor at a celebratory banquet, participate in a leadership development curriculum and be welcomed into a vibrant and growing family of alumni that have become a powerful force for positive change in the world. Through networking, collaborations and friendships, the group strives to make a greater impact together.

Aarthi is currently deciding between the University of Chicago, Cornell University, and UIUC to study computer science and computational and applied mathematics starting next year. She hopes to use computer science for social good in her community.