East Brunswick Student Among Best High School Leaders, Wins $20K Coca-Cola Scholarship

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A senior from East Brunswick High School has been named a 2026 Coca-Cola Scholar, earning a $20,000 college scholarship.

Miley Weiner is one of just 150 students selected from a pool of more than 107,000 applicants nationwide.

The scholarship, awarded by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, recognizes academic achievement, leadership and community service through a three-stage selection process.

Weiner has built an extensive record of service and leadership at East Brunswick High School, serving as president of both the National Honor Society and the psychology club. She also works as a journalism and editorial intern for Girls' Life magazine and serves as secretary of her local hospital's Youth Advisory Council.

Her most notable achievement, however, grew out of a personal health struggle. Weiner was diagnosed with gastroparesis, a stomach condition that required her to use a feeding tube for several years. Rather than stepping back, she turned the experience into action by founding MileysBags, a business that makes stylish backpacks adapted for children who use feeding tubes.

"I've been able to send over 800 backpacks across North America, Europe, and Australia, and donate proceeds from each sale to different children's hospitals and charities, specifically Ronald McDonald House," Weiner said.

After graduation, Weiner plans to major in English and pursue a writing career.

"I feel more confident in my abilities as a changemaker, and hope to use this as a platform as I work to empower overshadowed communities, such as the pediatric healthcare community," she said.

Weiner and her fellow scholars will travel to Atlanta April 23-26 for Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend, where they will attend the 38th annual Coca-Cola Scholars Banquet and take part in a leadership development program run by program alumni.

The foundation will award a combined $3.1 million in scholarships to the 2026 class.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program, a joint effort of Coca-Cola bottlers across the U.S. and The Coca-Cola Company, is the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship program in the country. Since its founding in 1986, the foundation has awarded more than $90 million in scholarships to over 7,200 students.

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