Elizabeth Lawrence Named Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholar

Elizabeth Lawrence, a Nashville State Community College student studying Cognitive and Brain Sciences as a Music A.F.A. major has been named a 2024 Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship for the Fall 2024 semester.

Lawrence, who is working at Vanderbilt University’s Music Cognition Lab, is interested in “the language of music and the brain,” or music cognition.

The Foundation recognizes 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion.

Students are nominated for the academic team by their college administrators. Selection focuses on academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service. This year, there were more than 2,200 applications.

Nashville State Professor of Philosophy Donald Turner, who has served 17 years as the Alpha Xi Psi Chapter advisor of Phi Theta Kappa, said, “Ms. Lawrence’s initiative and dedication to her academic pursuits serve as an inspiration to us all. We’re proud to count her as a member of our PTK chapter and thankful for her contributions to our organization and the college at large.”

“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. “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 global community leaders.”

Coca-Cola Academic Team members will be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention in Orlando, Florida, April 4-6.

“We thank the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for recognizing these student leaders and for investing in their futures,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “Scholarships like these are integral to the success of these students in reaching their educational and career goals.”

Additionally, Lawrence was recently named a semifinalist for the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. There were 1,600 applicants from 194 community colleges. The scholarship is for students who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, leadership, and service will go toward the completion of bachelor’s degree.