Randolph Junior Receives National Award
LYNCHBURG– A Randolph College junior has been named a 2009 Coca-Cola Gold Scholar. Kathleen Fort received the national award and will be recognized in the April 6 edition of USA TODAY .
Fort, a studio art major at Randolph, is also concurrently enrolled at Central Virginia Community College’s Communication Design program. She will graduate from both institutions in 2010.
Coca-Cola’s Gold Scholar program is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and is administered by Phi Theta Kappa, a two-year college academic honor society. As a Gold Scholar, Fort will receive a certificate, gold medallion, and a check for $1,500. Because she was in the top-ten listing, she will also receive a $500 cash scholarship from CVCC. In addition, all Coca-Cola scholarship recipients, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, will be listed in a special section of USA TODAY in April. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation supports more than 1,400 college students each year, with annual scholarships of $3.4 million through two nationally recognized programs on behalf of the Coca-Cola foundation.
The nationally-competitive Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation program requires applicants to have an “A” average, two letters of recommendation, complete a writing component, and write an essay about their contribution to the campus community.
Born in upstate New York, Fort came to Lynchburg in 1995, after previously attending secretarial school and taking courses at a local community college. She worked in the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College for four years, managing the office, helping to arrange symposiums, and serving as a campus liaison for the museum. Her experiences in a college environment gave her the determination to further her education, and she began taking classes at CVCC.
Randolph’s partnership with the Virginia Community College System allows qualified students attending CVCC and the many other community colleges in the state, to more easily transfer to Randolph.
In Fort’s case, she was able to pursue both degrees concurrently. She will receive her B.A. in Studio Art from Randolph and her A.A.S. degree in Communication Design from CVCC in 2010.
“During my time working as the office manager at the Maier Museum at Randolph College, I became very aware of how each and every member of the college community seemed focused on the students,” Fort said. “When it came time for me to choose a college to attend, I knew Randolph would be a great fit for me because of the excellent people on both the faculty and staff. I wanted to attend a college that was completely invested in my experience as a student and that would also challenge me both academically and creatively.”
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