Paducah Tilghman High School senior Dana Hernandez has been named a Regional Finalist in the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Program. Hernandez is among 250 high school seniors nationwide selected from an overall pool of more than 65,000 applicants and 1,600 semifinalists to advance in the scholarship program based on academic excellence, leadership, and service to the community. Of the 250 Regional Finalists, 150 will become Coca-Cola Scholars and receive a $20,000 college scholarship.
Hernandez is an alumna of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Program, a Paducah Bank Teen of the Week, Editor in Chief of the Tilghman Bell Student Newspaper, freelance writer for the Paducah Life magazine for which she wrote a feature article on Vice President Kamala Harris, and was an attendee of the Princeton University Journalism Symposium in 2020. She is a member of Tilghman’s Varsity Soccer Team, a Student Representative on the Paducah Public Schools Racial Equity Committee, a Student Representative for Tilghman’s Student Council, and the first ever Kentucky designee R2L NextGen Student Representative on the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. To initiate regular discussions among students of all colors and backgrounds, Hernandez co-founded and helps moderate Tilghman’s United Voices group. She is a Paducah Bank Teen Ambassador, member of Tilghman’s Sustainability Club and African American Leadership Club, and President of both the National Honor Society and the Interact Club, with which she volunteered on a week-long service trip to El Salvador last year.
Hernandez is also an attorney for Tilghman’s Mock Trial Team, Senior Mentor for the U.S. Department of Education’s Upward Bound Math and Science program, Tilghman Student Ambassador, and a graduate of the Paducah Chamber of Commerce Youth LEAD class #10. She volunteers for Lotus Children’s Advocacy & Sexual Violence Resource Center and is a freelance makeup artist. She also manages invoicing for Hernandez Painting.
She is the daughter of Alma Lemuz and Isidro Hernandez.
“Being named a Regional Finalist by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Program is a tremendous accomplishment. Dana has consistently gone above and beyond with her involvement in school and service to the community. Her investment in furthering racial equity and making sure all voices are heard is especially notable,” Paducah Tilghman High School Principal Allison Stieg said. “This honor is a testament to Dana’s hard work, and everyone at Tilghman and in the school system is very proud. We wish her the best of luck in the next round of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation process.”
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program was established in 1989 to reward deserving high school seniors who make positive strides in their communities and around the world. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program is the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship program in the United States and has provided more than 6,600 Coke Scholars nationwide with over $78 million in scholarships over the course of 34 years.