Way to Go!: Christina Kelly of Elmont Memorial High

Christina Kelly, a senior at Elmont Memorial High School, was one of 253 students nationwide named a 2010 scholar last month by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation based on academics, school involvement and community leadership.

Kelly will compete for one of 53 college scholarships worth $20,000 each and 200 college scholarships worth $10,000 each at Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta on March 25. The initial pool of applicants was about 80,000 teens, Coca-Cola officials said.

"I was at work when I found out," said Kelly, 18. "I started crying and I called my mom and she started screaming. We both wanted this for so long."

Kelly was selected from about 2,200 semifinalists after submitting a second application with transcripts, essays and letters of recommendation. In Atlanta, an interview by judges will determine her scholarship amount.

Kelly is president of Future Business Leaders of America's Nassau-Suffolk districts and founded her school's Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

Michael Comuniello of Division Avenue High School in Levittown was also named a scholar. Additionally, he is one of nine Long Island finalists in the 2010 Intel science competition.