Amani Harris and Bill Kawaka Named 2025 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars
The Middlesex College students and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members were selected based on leadership potential and will each receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Middlesex College students Amani Harris of North Brunswick and Bill Kawaka of Sayreville have been named 2025 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars, each receiving a $1,000 scholarship as well as the honor of this prestigious title.
The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps new Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members afford educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Phi Theta Kappa is the first honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges, comprising more than 4.4 million members across 11 countries. Harris and Kawaka were chosen for this award out of the over 600 applications received, with a total of $220,000 being awarded through the program this year.
The funds provided by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation not only aid in college completion but also give students the opportunity to engage in Society programs and develop leadership skills to become future leaders in their communities.
“I am honored to receive this award, especially as a full-time student and full-time worker,” said Harris. “Balancing these responsibilities can be overwhelming, especially while adjusting to inflation and the responsibilities of young adulthood.”
Harris is studying business administration, with the hope to one day own her own business. Besides being a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member, Harris is involved with the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) and serves as secretary for the Justice Reform Club. She also has a deep connection to the College through her sister, last year’s Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar and the Class of 2024 valedictorian, Alexandra Badaway.
“I have had one of the best mentors and wonderful role models,” Harris notes about Badaway. “My sister constantly pushes me to reach my limits and, despite the challenges we both faced and may continue to face, she has always protected me and guided me in the right direction. I applied as she gave me the courage to voice my story.”
Kawaka will graduate in 2026 with a degree in computer science.
“Receiving the Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship has meant so much to me, not only for the financial assistance but for the confidence it has given me,” said Kawaka. “It has shifted my mindset, showing me that previously unattainable goals are very much within reach.”
Kawaka is involved in several programs on campus including EOF, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and Computer Science Club, where he serves as vice president. In 2024, Kawaka was awarded the Dr. Fannie Lockhart Gordon Award, named after the first Black counselor in the EOF program at Middlesex College.
“I wear many hats, often questioning if I am heading in the right direction. Balancing academics, extracurriculars, independent research, and personal goals has been immensely challenging,” said Kawaka. “Opportunities like this remind me that hard work really does pay off. I am committed to maintaining resilience and quality in my work, striving for greatness, and staying true to myself.”
