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