Suffolk Reporter

Freda Asiedu, a Suffolk County Community College student from Brentwood, NY, is among the 210 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) members named a 2024 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program supports new PTK members by helping to defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are selected based on their scholastic achievement, community service, and leadership potential. Out of nearly 1,500 applications received, Freda Asiedu has been distinguished as a recipient.

A total of $210,000 will be awarded through this year's Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program, with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation providing $200,000 in funding. An additional $25,000 is allocated for veterans or active members of the United States military, and the remaining funds come from donations to the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation, which also supports Global Leaders of Promise Scholarships for international students.

Ms. Asiedu moved from Ghana to the United States in 2022. She is a Liberal Arts General Studies major and an Honors Program student at the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood. She plans to pursue a career in nursing and currently serves as the campus PTK president. In her first semester in this role, she successfully inducted new members into the chapter and led a team through the initial stages of the Honors in Action research project. The team is focusing their study on "The Power of Stories" and aims to apply for a grant for their research project in the fall semester.

In addition to her contributions to PTK, Ms. Asiedu remains dedicated to her academic pursuits. During the fall 2023 semester, she undertook an honors biology course as an independent study, working closely with her professor on a paper titled “The Spatial Abundance of Mollusks Species Through the Tidal Profile at Sunken Meadow State Park Beach.” She presented her findings at the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference and at the campus STEM Day event.

“We are incredibly proud of Freda for receiving this prestigious honor,” said Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College. “Her dedication to leadership, academic excellence, and community service truly reflects the core values we at Suffolk uphold. Her accomplishments highlight the exceptional quality of our students and the positive impact they have on both our college and the wider community.”

About Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society recognizing academic achievement among students at associate degree-granting colleges while helping them grow as scholars and leaders. The Society comprises more than 4.3 million members across nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 countries with approximately 240,000 active members nationwide.

About Suffolk County Community College

Suffolk County Community College is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and enrolls approximately 21,000 students across its three campuses in Selden, Brentwood and Riverhead. Offering Associate degrees (A.A., A.S., A.A.S.) along with various certificate programs at affordable tuition rates combined with extensive extracurricular activities makes it a top choice for Long Island students.

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