Albany State University Students Selected for Coke’s ‘Pay It Forward’ Internship
Two Albany State University students, senior Kamaria Winfield and senior Tea Denerson, were chosen to participate in Coca-Cola UNITED’s Annual “Pay It Forward” Internship. The program provides African American youth opportunities to celebrate their achievements and to further their success. Students from 16 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were chosen to participate this year.
Kamaria Winfield is a mass communication major and a member of the Students Advocating for a Stronger Sisterhood (SASS) student organization, where she serves as social media coordinator. When asked what Winfield learned, she said “You don’t grow when you’re comfortable, get out of your shell and start making things happen for yourself.”
Tea Denerson is a biology major and a member of the ASU ROTC, where she has served as squad leader, platoon leader and company commander.
“Coca-Cola United’s commitment to empower and expose HBCU students to real world experiences, 
while providing them with successful techniques for their future endeavors, is a mission
that we, as a University, are also committed to. Their values of quality, excellence, integrity and respect make the Coca-Cola United
Bottling Company great partners for ASU and other HBCUs,” said ASU President Marion Ross Fedrick.
Students received a $1,000 stipend, a lifetime of Coca-Cola Brand Ambassadorship and a virtual, two-day informative development session with Coca-Cola Company teams. The students spent two days virtually with leaders across the Coca-Cola Company learning about a wide range of roles, including sales, production, marketing, pricing, event planning, packaging, philanthropy, and community relations.
“HBCUs like ASU, play an important role in educating America’s future leaders. Partnerships like the one we share with Coke, gives an opportunity for job placement and additional support of programs, and a larger voice to highlight the accomplishments of HBCUs,” added Fedrick.