Port Allen senior, youth ambassador earns Coca Cola scholarship

Finding her voice and allowing others to express theirs has made Emily Nichols one of 150 high school seniors, out of a pool of 95,715 who applied, a 2019 Coca Cola Scholar, earning her a $20,000 scholarship to college.

Emily, a graduate of Port Allen High School in Port Allen, Louisiana, founded Voice Out, a media platform which gives underrepresented youth the opportunity to voice their opinions about issues in the media, politics and other social mediums.

She was also Head Fellow at Baton Rouge Youth Coalition and a two-time state Champion in the Discus.

EMILY NICHOLS

As a member of the Louisiana Youth Advisory Council, she has helped write a bill that passed in the Louisiana Legislative Session making mental health education mandatory for all youth in Louisiana.

Nichols also founded and served as president of Education is Hope Project, which collected and donated over 300 books to a local adult reading center.

In its selection of Ms. Nichols, Coca Cola says, “Emily not only exemplifies superior leadership, service, and academics – she is a change agent, positively affecting others in her community.”

This is the 31st year that Coca Cola has recognized students across the country who exemplify academic excellence, leadership, and service demonstrated in school and community activities.

This article originally published in the June 10, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.