Glen Burnie High School senior Zainab Badejo has been named a 2017 winner of a Coca-Cola Scholarship that will provide $5,000 a year toward tuition for four years of undergraduate study at the college or university of her choice.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors each year. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. The Foundation has provided over 5,700 Coca-Cola Scholars with more than $56 million in educational support. This year, 150 Coca-Cola Scholars – four from Maryland – were selected from among the 86,000 applications received.
Zainab Badejo, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, moved to the United States when she was 8 years old. Raised in Maryland, she is known for her commitment to community service, dedication to academic excellence, leadership skills, and resiliency. Zainab is a student in Glen Burnie’s Biomedical Allied Health Program (BMAH) and will be graduating from the Biomedical Science pathway in June. She aspires to pursue a career in the health profession and hopes to improve access to healthcare at the international level.
“Zainab is an exceptional young lady who is not only a hard worker, but possesses great character and poise,” Glen Burnie High School Principal Vickie Plitt said.
While carrying a 3.92 grade-point average, Zainab is involved in multiple clubs and extracurricular activities in school such as student government, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, varsity track and field, and more.
She also is the founder of the school’s Afro-Caribbean Club. Its mission is to serve as an avenue for students of African and Caribbean descent to preserve their heritage and cultural identity while away from their country.