COCA-COLA FOUNDATION HONORS STUDENTS AT PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WHO ARE FIRST IN FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE

RALEIGH, October 27, 2008 - A luncheon at the Executive Mansion on Tuesday, October 7 honored 36 students from across the state who will be the first in their families to graduate from college. The students were selected in 2005 as scholarship recipients through the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program, which awards one $5,000 annual scholarship to a student at each of North Carolina's 36 independent colleges and universities, for a total award of $20,000 per student.

The program is administered by North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) through a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation of Atlanta, and requires each student to maintain a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale while in college to retain the scholarship each year. In total, The Coca-Cola Foundation will invest $720,000 in the students' educations as they prepare to pursue future careers such as teachers, nurses, and attorneys.

"At The Coca-Cola Company, we believe education is the single greatest force enabling people worldwide to improve their lives," said Ingrid Saunders Jones, chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation, which has contributed more than $265 million to education and sustainable community initiatives worldwide. "We're pleased to assist deserving students in North Carolina achieve their dreams of higher education."

The Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship program supports students who are the first in their immediate families to attend college or university. The program has awarded more than $14 million to over 1,000 students on almost 400 campuses since 1993.

Dr. A. Hope Williams, president of NCICU, said the private colleges and universities in the state provide a unique opportunity for first generation students by offering small class sizes and individual attention, leadership opportunities, personalized student services, and low student to professor ratios. "Private colleges and universities in North Carolina are committed to supporting first generation college students to help them be successful and to graduate from college. The partnership between the Coca-Cola Foundation and North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities is a 'dream team' for first generation students, providing the funding and support services these students need to graduate."

April Shelton of Marshall, a senior at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs majoring in Elementary Education, was thrilled when she was notified as an incoming freshman that she had been selected as the Coca-Cola Scholar for her campus. April spoke at the luncheon and about the scholarship, she said, "I'm one of the first females in my family to graduate high school, let alone go on to college. This scholarship is not only helping me to live my dream of going to college, but also helping to give my siblings something to look forward to as well."

Students attending the luncheon were:
Barton College -- Ms. Summer Chase
Belmont Abbey College -- Ms. Amanda Cook
Bennett College For Women -- Ms. Datriona Spears
Brevard College -- Ms. Dorothea Berry
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences -- Ms. Heather Parks
Campbell University -- Mr. Robert Harding Gilmore
Catawba College -- Ms. Amanda E. Kanoy
Chowan University -- Mr. Maurice Fluitt
Gardner-Webb University -- Ms. April Shelton
Greensboro College -- Mr. Canaan Brick Crowder
High Point University -- Ms. Arletha Marie Johnson
Johnson C. Smith University -- Ms. Santana Smith
Livingstone College -- Mr. Randall Surles
Louisburg College -- Ms. Emily Angell
Meredith College -- Ms. Kamika Henderson
Methodist University -- Ms. Shantell Dustin
Montreat College -- Ms. Jessica Morgan
Mount Olive College -- Mr. Carley Moore
Peace College -- Ms. Christy Shanks
Saint Augustine's College -- Ms. Tennisha Brown
Shaw University -- Ms. Annette Hoskins
St. Andrews Presbyterian College -- Ms. Brittany Parrish
Wake Forest University -- Ms. Brianna Pellicane

About North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) is the statewide organization of North Carolina's 36 non-profit, liberal arts, comprehensive and research colleges and universities accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. NCICU represents its member colleges and universities in the areas of scholarship support for students, state and federal public policy and on education issues with the other sectors of education in the state. NCICU is governed by a board of trustees comprised of each independent college and university president. For more information, please visit www.ncicu.org.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 450 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®, vitaminwater, POWERade®, Minute Maid® and Georgia® Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.5 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

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