On August 16, Alexandra L. Soto-Lopez was one of more than two hundred Phi Theta Kappa members to be named a 2022 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation selects recipients based on scholastic achievement, community service, and leadership.
“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, president of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, in a statement. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrow’s leaders of the global community.”
The funds provided by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation not only aid college completion but also allow students to engage in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society programs and develop leadership skills to become future leaders in their communities.
“When I received this scholarship, it felt like hope,” Soto-Lopez told Arizona Western College (AWC). “I hope I will have other opportunities to earn scholarships and continue my higher education,” she said.
Soto-Lopez is enrolled in several associate degree programs at AWC. She is triple majoring in physics, mathematics, and engineering. Previously, she has received scholarships from the AWC Foundation, the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), and the Honors Program to cover the cost of her tuition and books. The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise $1,000 scholarship will help defray educational expenses.
After she graduates in May of 2023, she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering, followed by a master’s and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering.
Soto-Lopez initially began as a physics major. After taking a required engineering course, she became more interested in the field. However, Soto-Lopez discovered she was one of only two girls in her engineering class. She was disheartened to learn that over 85 percent of aerospace engineers are men. But she persisted. And so far, her hard work has paid off.
“I come from parents who have worked in the agricultural fields,” Soto-Lopez told AWC. “My dad still works in the fields, and now my mom cleans houses for a living to provide food on the table.”
As a federally funded College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) member, Soto-Lopez has had the opportunity to participate in community service activities, including a donation drive designed to hand out food, clothes, and gifts to farm workers.
CAMP is designed to meet the needs of students from migrant or seasonal farm-working backgrounds. Soto-Lopez said the program has helped her feel like she’s part of a community who knows what it’s like to have a family working in agriculture. This semester at AWC, over one hundred students are working to transform their lives through the CAMP program.
“Alexandra is an exceptional student who is highly motivated to succeed,” CAMP staff wrote nominating her for an award. “Excellence is just a word. Alexandra is a real-world example.”
According to The Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Foundation website, PTK awards $1.5 million in scholarships to members yearly, and four-year college partners now offer $250 million in transfer scholarships.
“Research shows that Phi Theta Kappa members are four times more likely to complete a college degree than their peers,” said Dr. Monica Marlowe, executive director of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation, in the press release. “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.”
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