Recognizing excellence and promise, we proudly introduce our 2026 Fil-Am Presidential Scholar, Anthony Charles Coral

Learn more about our Scholar

Anthony's Story

Anthony Coral, 18, is an only child of Charlie and Jacqueline Coral, and a graduating senior at Ola High School in McDonough, Georgia (Class of 2026), where he ranks as Salutatorian with an outstanding 4.61 GPA. He plans to pursue studies in Psychology and Education.

He has already been accepted to Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia, but ultimately decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania this Fall!

Academically exceptional, Anthony completed AP Calculus BC and AP Statisticsas a sophomore and is the top SAT scorer in his class. He earned Highest Commendation in the 2025 John Locke Global Essay Prize for his essay “The Ease of Feeling Inferior”, and has been nationally published in The 74. He was also selected for the prestigious Georgia Governor’s Honors Program as a Math Major.

A dynamic leader, Anthony serves as Academic Team Captain, Math Team President, and Rho Kappa President, and is a member of the National Honor Society. In the arts, he is Concertmaster of both the Chamber Advanced and Symphonic Orchestras.

Beyond academics, he is the Founder and President of Let’s Educate Henry, serves on the State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, and volunteers as a Master Server at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church.

In his free time, Anthony enjoys cooking, baking, playing the violin, fitness, and engaging with documentaries and Filipino media.

Learn More About the Presidential Scholarship
View Former Presidential Scholars

About the Fil-Am Presidential Scholarship

FAQs

  • To recognize an outstanding student in the Filipino-American community for their academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to community service. 

  • NO LONGER ACCEPTING 2026 APPLICATIONS

    Applicants are judged on their overall academic achievement, leadership qualities, extra-curricular involvement, and community service.

    Judging is done primarily from the application forms, from the required documents submitted, and maybe a possibility of a personal interview upon the request of the scholarship committee.

    Decision of the scholarship committee is final and irrevocable.

    • Be a resident of Georgia. 

    • Be of Filipino descent. 

    • Be a dependent of a current, paid member of the Filipino-American Association of Greater Atlanta for at least two consecutive years. 

    • Be a high school senior at an accredited institution in the Greater Atlanta area with plans to attend a two- or four-year college/university. 

    • Be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.6. 

    • Have a minimum SAT score of 1250 or minimum ACT score of 33. 

    • Not be related to any current 2026 Fil-Am Officers. 

    • Academics (30%): GPA and SAT/ACT scores. 

    • Essay (40%): Original, handwritten essay in ink, at least 500 words.

    • Leadership (15%): Leadership roles in school organizations, clubs, etc. 

    • Citizenship (10%): Volunteer work in the community. 

    • Application Form (5%): Timely submission, completed in the applicant's own handwriting and in ink, and signed. 

    • The recipient will be named that year’s Fil-Am Presidential Scholar.

    • The scholarship award is One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00), provided by the Filipino-American Heritage Foundation, Inc. 

    • The recipient will also represent Fil-Am as that year’s Asian/Pacific-American Council of Georgia (APAC) Scholar, receiving an additional Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). This qualifies them to apply for other APAC scholarships. 

    • The recipient must attend the APAC Scholars Awarding Ceremony in May of their scholarship year

      (Date and venue to be announced)

    • Attendance is required at all Fil-Am events of their scholarship year, including:

      o   Spring Picnic 

      o   Summer Cultural Event 

      o   Fall Picnic 

      o   Casino/Mahjong Social 

      o   Christmas Family Party 

      o   New Year’s Eve Ball 

      (Dates and venues to be announced)

    • Applicants are judged on academic achievement, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and community service. Judging is based on submitted documents, and a personal interview may be requested by the scholarship committee. 

    All decisions by the scholarship committee are final. 

  • NO LONGER ACCEPTING 2026 APPLICATIONS

    Applicants must submit the following. Compliance is part of the scoring. 

    1. Completed and signed Application Formin the applicant’s own handwriting and in ink. 

    2. Official High School Transcript. 

    3. SAT or ACT Scores. 

    4. Three sealedRecommendation Letters (on official letterhead): 

    • From the school principal on academics. 

    • From a teacher or organizational leader on leadership. 

    • From a community/civic leader on volunteer work. 

    5. Handwritten Essay (minimum 500 words, in ink). 

    6. Two current passport-size photographs with the applicant's name written on the back. 

    7. Signed Attestation and Affirmation Statement.

    IMPORTANT: All application materials, including forms and essays, must be completed by the applicant’s own handwriting and using an ink pen. Typed or digitally completed forms will not be accepted. 

    SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

    Please mail ALL the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS postmarked by the due date marked on the application to:

    The Filipino-American Association of Greater Atlanta

    Attn: Scholarship Committee

    1194 Bailing Road

    Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043

    Any questions regarding the submission procedures may be addressed via e-mail to:

    tfpellicer@gmail.com or call 404-729-5055.