“The class of 2016 received more than $3.5 million in scholarships. We’re hoping to surpass that amount this year. Aurora is an exceptional student and we wish her well,” said Tammie Williams, RRHS principal.
“We’re extremely proud of Aurora. She is an outstanding, well-rounded student who has a bright future and deserves this awesome opportunity to be a Goodnight Scholar at NCSU,” Angie Lassiter, RRHS counselor said.
The finalists were selected from a pool of 675 candidates from across North Carolina, representing six North Carolina State academic colleges and 44 North Carolina counties. Finalists were scored by an application review committee consisting of 107 current and former NCSU faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as, industry representatives from SAS Institute and the Kenan Fellows Program.
Each finalist demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in their respective high school careers including stellar academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, community engagement, and inspiring goals for success in the STEM or STEM education fields.
The Goodnight Scholars Program was established in 2008 out of the philanthropy of North Carolina natives and NCSU alumni Dr. Jim Goodnight, co-founder of global business analytic software leader, SAS Institute, and Ann Goodnight, director of community relations at SAS Institute.
The Goodnight Scholars Program is targeted at North Carolina residents from low- and middle-income families who aspire to study in a science, technology, education, mathematics or STEM-related education discipline at NC State.
First year students accepted into the Program receive an annual scholarship valued at $19,500 per year for up to four years, a $78,000 total.