LAURINBURG — Two Scotland County students were among the 215 North Carolina students who received Golden LEAF Scholarships, worth up to $14,000.
The two recipients both graduated from Scotland Early College High School. Nathan Amaral plans to use his scholarship at Appalachian State University, and Louida Greene plans to use hers at North Carolina A&T State University.
High school seniors entering college as first-year students are eligible for a $3,500 yearly scholarship for up to four years of undergraduate study at a participating four-year North Carolina college or university. Community college transfer students are eligible for $3,500 annually for up to three years of undergraduate study.
Recipients from rural or economically distressed North Carolina counties are selected based on future career goals and an expressed intent to contribute to the state’s rural communities upon graduation from college.
The Golden LEAF Foundation established the Golden LEAF Scholarship Program to broaden educational opportunities and provide support to students from rural counties with the goal that recipients will return and contribute to rural communities after graduation. The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) administers the program and selects students for awards.
“We are proud to award scholarships to hardworking and bright students with deep roots in their rural communities,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF Foundation president and CEO. “These students were selected out of a pool of more than 1,700 applicants. We look forward to the future success of these scholarship recipients as they follow their education pursuits and develop into North Carolina’s next generation of rural leaders.”
Scholarship recipients may also apply for the Golden LEAF Rural Internship Initiative. The Rural Internship Initiative provides Golden LEAF Scholars with professional work experience related to their career field in a rural North Carolina community. The Golden LEAF Foundation provides funding to pay interns $15/hour for up to 400 hours of work. Internships take place over 8-10 weeks between June and August.
For more information about Golden LEAF and our programs, please visit our website at www.goldenleaf.org.