Hannah Lang does not always drink soda pop, but when she does she prefers Coke—always has—an attraction that’s unlikely to fade now that the beverage giant has demonstrated its preference for her, too.

Lang, a communication disorders major at Amarillo College, has been selected as one of only 50 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Gold Scholars for 2015, a prestigious honor accorded to only 50 recipients who were chosen from a field of more than 1,700 applicants nationwide.

Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society administers the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team program, which recognizes 50 Gold, 50 Silver and 50 Bronze Scholars, and provides nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each Gold Scholar receives a $1,500 scholarship and a special medallion.

The 2015 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Scholars will be recognized at the Phi Theta Kappa annual convention April 16-18 in San Antonio.

An independent panel of judges considers outstanding academic rigor, grade point average, academic and leadership awards, and engagement in college and community service in the selection process.

Besides her membership in Phi Theta Kappa, Lang is a member of the Amarillo College student-ambassador program called Blue Blazers, and she participates in AC’s Presidential Scholars Program.

“I’ve had many wonderful opportunities at Amarillo College, especially through the Presidential Scholars Program,” said Lang, who in 2014 visited Cambodia with a group of fellow AC Scholars. “The faculty at AC are all so focused on helping students succeed in school and in life—they make time for us.

“The small classes, the worldwide travel opportunities and the amazingly accessible faculty all really helped me grow as a student and a leader. I’ll always be glad that I went to AC, and of course now I’ll always like Coke even more than I ever did before, which I have to admit was a lot.”

Lang will collect her associate degree from AC in May and transfer her superlative credits to West Texas A&M University, where she plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders. The 2013 graduate of Amarillo High School expects to emerge one day from higher education as a master’s-degreed speech pathologist.

March 18, 2015