For Immediate Release
September 17, 2025

Suffolk County Community College Student Jennifer Smith Honored as a 2025 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar

Suffolk County Community College student Jennifer Smith has been honored as a 2025 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar. For a hi-res image, visit: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KfAhcXdMsJGJmrNx7

Jennifer Smith, a Suffolk County Community College student from Brentwood, NY, is among the 220 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) members named a 2025 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 some of their educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are selected based on their scholastic achievement, community service, and leadership potential. Out of more than 600 applications received, Ms. Smith has been distinguished as a recipient.

Ms. Smith is a returning adult student who resumed her studies after a 20-year absence from higher education. She is an Addiction Studies major and an active member of Phi Theta Kappa at the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood. As a first-generation college student, her goals include being the second person in her family to graduate from college and to earn licensure as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor Trainee (CASAC-T).

Upon graduation, Ms. Smith intends to continue her studies at Stony Brook University, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and full licensure as a CASAC, with aspirations to later earn a Master’s in Social Work.

In addition to her academic accomplishments, Ms. Smith actively volunteers in the field, serving as a motivational speaker at jails, institutions, and sober residences, and also participates in the Addiction Studies Club at the Michael J. Grant Campus. She hopes to contribute to the field through research and advocacy for evidence-based practices and policy changes in substance use treatment.

“We are very proud of Jennifer for attaining this prestigious honor and for her academic achievements, leadership and community engagement,” said Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College. “As a returning adult student and a first-generation college student, her accomplishments are truly inspirational and demonstrate the transformative power of higher education.”

“I am honored to be a member of Phi Theta Kappa and grateful for the opportunities it has provided in pursuit of my academic interests,” Ms. Smith said.

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. A total of $220,000 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.

About Suffolk County Community College

Suffolk County Community College is the largest, most comprehensive community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, enrolling more than 26,000 students in over 100 degree and certificate programs. With approximately 145,000 alumni, Suffolk County Community College is dedicated to meeting the demands of regional employers. The college has built an extensive track record of successfully training and educating its students through pathways from high school to college and into careers.