Sierra Hauer named as 2025 Coca-Cola Bronze Scholar
April 29, 2025Westmoreland County Community College student Sierra Hauer of Export was named as a 2025 Coca-Cola Bronze Scholar receiving a $1,000 scholarship to the four-year university or college of her choice.
The Coca-Cola Academic Team recognizes high-achieving college students who demonstrate academic excellence and intellectual rigor combined with leadership and service that extends their education beyond the classroom to benefit society. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation supports two-year colleges through the Coca Cola Community College Academic Team Program, administered by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges.
“Sierra is a highly motivated student, strong communicator and researcher,” said Brian Hays, assistant professor of English. “She wrote a 25-page research project on wet specimens which took her to Philadelphia where she conducted research at the Mutter Museum.”
While environmental science wasn’t her first choice, she discovered that she didn’t want to pursue journalism after a job shadow experience left her “utterly unimpressed with the field.”
“I went back to what comforted me, which was nature and science,” she said. “I found a fulfilling career that will connect me with earth and allow me to share my knowledge with communities.”
Hauer plans to pursue a bachelors degree in environmental science and then earn a master’s degree in sustainability.
She noted that poor mental health has been prevalent since Covid and many people have been affected by it. She hopes to work toward creating more common spaces for all community members so people wouldn’t feel isolated.
“Contact with nature is proven to benefit mental health but nature can be hard to access,” she said. “Even by adding greenery to buildings such as plants on windowsills, sunrooms, greenhouses or rooftop gardens, we could bring nature to everyone.”
In addition to being a Coca-Cola Scholar, she was named to the 2024-25 All-USA/All-Pennsylvania Academic Team sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges and received a tuition waiver for two years of tuition at any Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education university.
# # #
The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges is a voluntary membership association for Pennsylvania’s community colleges. Its members include the college presidents, members of the colleges’ boards of trustees, and key college administrators. The Commission represents the interests of and advocates for the collective needs of the community colleges to federal and state policymakers. For more information, visit www.pacommunitycolleges.org.
The Coca Cola Scholars Foundation supports two-year colleges through the Coca Cola Community College Academic Team Program, administered by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK). The program awards 200 stipends (up to $237,500) annually across four tiers of recipients in varying amounts.