BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. (UNITED) has selected the 2024 class of its Pay It Forward internship program, a week-long experience that provides students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) an opportunity to celebrate their achievements and build on their success.

Coca-Cola UNITED selected 31 students who attend one of the 17 HBCUs in the company’s six-state footprint. Each student will receive a $2,000 stipend upon completion of the internship, as well as a lifetime Coca-Cola Brand Ambassadorship.

In Coca-Cola UNITED’s Central Region, headquartered in Birmingham, the following eight students were chosen to be Pay It Forward interns:

• Trinity Boman and Zy’Tavious Holloway, Alabama State University

• Nya Moore, Talladega College

• Johnyko Bevans and Victoria Coney, Stillman College

• Shatiya Steele and Jocelyn Tinker, Miles College

• Davon Horne, Tuskegee University

From July 15-19, students will gain experience in a wide range of roles at Coca-Cola UNITED, including sales, production, marketing and human resources. Among the main goals of Pay It Forward is to teach the students, to put it simply, how to go to work. The internship seeks to expose students to day-to-day business operations, the importance of networking and other skillsets that will prepare them for the job market.

“We are thrilled to welcome this year’s outstanding group of students to our Pay It Forward program,” said Coca-Cola UNITED President and CEO Mike Suco. “This internship is more than just a learning opportunity; it’s a platform for these future leaders to network, grow and better envision their career paths.”

In addition to hearing from Suco and other leaders within the company, the students will also have a special session with Larry Thornton of the Why Not Win Institute – a nonprofit organization that develops and cultivates individual excellence by bringing leaders and key leadership topics to current and future leaders.

In 2015, Coca-Cola UNITED teams in Birmingham and Montgomery established Pay It Forward to provide students with opportunities to succeed. Since that time, more than 100 students have participated in the program.