PepsiCo Foundation Awards Nearly 6,000
Scholarships
PURCHASE, N.Y., Sept. 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The PepsiCo Foundation is
helping to create future employees and entrepreneurs in the U.S
through scholarship and workforce development programs, providing
students with financial support, networking opportunities, and
career guidance. As part of its ongoing mission to drive
positive change in our communities, in the last five years the
PepsiCo Foundation is proud to have awarded nearly 6,000
scholarships in the United States.
In 2024 alone, the PepsiCo Foundation will have awarded more than
1,800 scholarships valued at nearly $8.4
million to students across the U.S.
The PepsiCo Foundation supports multiple educational access and
workforce development programs that unlock access to education,
with the three signature programs: PepsiCo Foundation Family
Scholars, PepsiCo Foundation S.M.I.L.E. (Supportive Mentorship for
Inspiring Leaders and Entrepreneurs) Scholarship, and PepsiCo
Foundation Uplift Scholarship.
PepsiCo Foundation Family Scholars
The Family Scholars program aims to support PepsiCo employees in
the financial burden of post-secondary education and foster
long-term success for the children and communities of PepsiCo
employees.
Mike B, a PepsiCo employee of nearly 30 years, encouraged his
daughter, Shaye, to apply for the PepsiCo Foundation Family
Scholars program. As a scholarship recipient, Shaye received
financial support for all five years of her university studies.
"To see PepsiCo invest in my daughter's future like that was
just amazing," Mike said. Following her graduation, Shaye was
chosen to complete a sales leadership program with PepsiCo and now
works for the company full-time in a regional sales role. "The
support helped me turn my part-time summer job with PepsiCo into a
career," Shaye said. "The scholarship gave me a chance to blaze my
own trail at PepsiCo."
In 2024 the PepsiCo Foundation awarded $1
million dollars in new scholarships to 435 children of
PepsiCo employees and since the program's inception 6,000+
scholarships and $70 million have
been awarded globally.
PepsiCo Foundation S.M.I.L.E. Scholarship
The S.M.I.L.E. Scholarship program is designed to help
students who have graduated from community colleges achieve their
dream of attaining a 4-year baccalaureate degree. These
scholarships provide financial assistance and access to mentorship
opportunities, internships, and professional networks.
"Being from another country and an immigrant, we look for the
American dream and this is the real dream. I have this opportunity,
and I feel so grateful it makes me cry. This has really been an
amazing opportunity for me," S.M.I.L.E. Scholar Valeria Bello De Armas said. "I have the
opportunity to go to school and an opportunity to maybe someday
work here, and it has been incredible. You need to keep doing this
program because it's changing lives. I come from a country where I
don't have opportunities and here in America you have changed my
life."
The S.M.I.L.E. Scholarships are dedicated to helping cultivate
the next generation of leaders. The program provides full
wraparound support and services to help break down the economic
barriers many students face while trying to complete their
education.
PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship
The Uplift Program is an extension of PepsiCo Foundation's
efforts to promote educational equity, focusing on unlocking access
to higher education for students who have traditionally faced
barriers to access. Through the Uplift Program, the Foundation
provides scholarships, academic support, and career readiness
training to community college students. This initiative aims to
create a more inclusive educational landscape by removing financial
barriers and offering robust support systems for students from
underserved communities. Uplift also includes emergency funds for
students who face unexpected obstacles that would prevent them from
graduating and pursuing their educational and career goals.
Expanding Horizons, Creating Opportunities
"Our commitment to educational access and social and economic
mobility through the awarding of scholarships and workforce
development programs reflects our belief that "talent is equally
distributed but opportunities are not." said PepsiCo
Foundation President and Global Head of Social Impact, PepsiCo,
C.D. Glin said. "Through the Family Scholars Program, S.M.I.L.E.
Scholarships, Uplift Scholarship, and the many other programs we
support, we are proud to feed the potential of people who will
shape the future of our workforce. By providing them with the
resources, support, and opportunities they need, we are
contributing to a more equitable and prosperous society."
Real World Impact – Pathways to Prosperity
Today marks the launch of the third season of the PepsiCo
Foundation Changemakers video series titled "Pathways to
Prosperity." This season highlights some of the people,
partnerships, and social impact investments that the PepsiCo
Foundation is making in five different countries around the world.
Each episode in the Pathways to Prosperity series tells the story
of an individual and organization who benefitted from PepsiCo
Foundation assistance and how they, in turn, became
Changemakers, making a positive difference in the lives
of others. For example, in the U.S. episode, Fidel G, a
PepsiCo Foundation scholarship recipient, shows how the scholarship
and support helped him overcome adversity, improved his life,
ignited his career, and inspired him to give back to his local
community.
The PepsiCo Foundation's scholarship programs are a testament to
its dedication to helping foster economic growth and social
mobility. By investing in education and supporting underrepresented
students, the Foundation is not only enhancing individual lives but
also contributing to the broader goal of creating a more inclusive
and equitable world. Visit pepsicofoundation.com to view the
series.
About the PepsiCo Foundation
The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests
in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a
mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits
and experts around the globe, we're focused on helping communities
obtain access to food security, safe water and economic
opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we
live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and
international organizations, and our employees to affect
large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of
global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com.
Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE PepsiCo Foundation