GCCC PTK Student Emily Dryden Named 2026 Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholar
[Garden City, KS] March 12, 2026 -- Garden City Community College Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) student Emily Dryden has been named to the 2026 Coca-Cola Academic Team and will receive a $1,300 scholarship.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program, awarding nearly $200,000 in scholarships to outstanding community college students each year. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion. Students are nominated by their college administrators, with selections based on academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service.
Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges, recognizing students for academic achievement while providing opportunities for leadership, service, and professional development.
Dryden is an Agricultural Business major from Holcomb, Kansas. She is the daughter of Brock and Heather Dryden and plans to transfer to West Texas A&M University.
“Emily is an outstanding student who consistently demonstrates leadership, initiative, and a commitment to helping others,” said Winsom Lamb, Phi Theta Kappa advisor at Garden City Community College. “This recognition is very well deserved.”
Garden City Community College’s Alpha Xi Upsilon chapter of Phi Theta Kappa provides students with opportunities to develop leadership skills, engage in service projects, and pursue scholarship opportunities at the regional and national levels.
“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said Jane Hale Paulsen, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrow’s global community leaders.”
Coca-Cola Academic Team members will be recognized in both local and statewide ceremonies. They will also be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention, PTK Catalyst, in Baltimore, Maryland, March 26-28.
About the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation celebrates and empowers visionary leaders who are refreshing the world. Supporting more than 1,400 exceptional college students each year, it awards $3.55 million in scholarships annually through three nationally recognized programs. Learn more at coca-colascholarsfoundation.org.
About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is the first honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 4.4 million members and nearly 1,250 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 220,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.
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