NEWS

Editors: Finalists are listed below by counties.

68 N.C. high school seniors are finalists for Morehead Scholarships at UNC

CHAPEL HILL -- Sixty-eight North Carolina high school seniors have been named finalists for 2003 Morehead Awards to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, valued at $70,000 each.

The Morehead Award Central Selection Committee will interview the finalists in Chapel Hill March 1-4 and announce winners March 7. The John Motley Morehead Foundation trustees will offer awards to about 40 of the students, who will have until mid-April to accept.

Among the largest and most competitive scholarships at U.S. colleges and universities, the Morehead Awards pay all expenses for four years of undergraduate study, including the purchase of a laptop computer and four summer enrichment experiences. The summer programs are designed to complement scholars’ education with leadership and problem-solving training.

Criteria for the merit-based Morehead Awards are academic achievement, leadership, moral force of character and physical vigor. The program, now in its 52nd year, is modeled after the Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University in England.

The selection process began last fall, when high schools nominated 907 outstanding, well-rounded seniors to the Morehead Foundation. In addition, 392 students nominated themselves for consideration. A screening committee convened in October to review the students’ records and select semifinalists. This month, regional committees interviewed the semifinalists and named finalists.

The foundation also chooses 56 finalists from 151 select secondary schools nationwide and two to four finalists from schools in Great Britain, who also compete in the final interviews. Out-of-state Morehead Awards for freshmen entering Carolina in fall 2003 will be worth more than $100,000 each.

The Morehead program was begun in 1951 by the late John Motley Morehead III, an 1891 UNC-Chapel Hill graduate who also gave the Morehead Planetarium to the university. The program aimed to draw the most promising young people of across North Carolina and the United States to study at Carolina.

Following is a list of N.C. Morehead Award finalists by county in alphabetical order. Names of students listed in more than one county are noted with asterisks.

Glenn Sandler Kern of Eastern Alamance High School, son of Susan and Lee Kern of Mebane.

Jordan Daniel Kern of Eastern Alamance High School, son of Susan and Lee Kern of Mebane.

John Frank Vance of Avery County High School, son of Esther and Frank Vance of Newland.

Amit Dorf of North Buncombe High School, son of Janet and William Dorf of Weaverville.

Allyson Me'Lynda Pritchett of Enka High School, daughter of Edith and Theodore Pritchett of Candler.

Paige McKenzie Roe of East Burke High School, daughter of Donna and Thurman Roe of Connelly Springs.

Luisa Magdalena Lara of J.M. Robinson High School, daughter of Magdalena and Pedro Lara of Concord.

Thomas Wiley Teague Jr. of St. Stephens High School, son of Miya and Thomas Teague of Hickory.

Dax Thattacunnel Varkey of Chatham Central High School, son of Ann and Rollo Varkey of Pittsboro.

Hannah Sue Hill of Murphy High School, daughter of Lisa and Stanley Hill of Murphy.

Jennifer Marie Biser of Whiteville High School, daughter of JoAnne and Daniel Biser of Hallsboro.

Jessica Kathleen Badger of Pine Forest Senior High School, daughter of Julie and Scott Badger of Fayetteville.

Ashley Marie Holloway of Terry Sanford Senior High School, daughter of Myra and O. C. Holloway of Fayetteville.

Maile Cathleen Lesica of Terry Sanford Senior High School, daughter of Catherine and John Lesica of Fayetteville.

Christopher Lee Lunsford of Massey Hill Classical High School, son of Christine and Billy Lunsford of Spring Lake.

Alexandra Louise Argiroff of Manteo High School, daughter of Kathleen and Alexander Argiroff of Kill

Devil Hills.

Cameron Marcellus Lindsay of Ledford Senior High School, son of Deborah and Craig Lindsay of Kernersville.

Brian Isaac Wright of Westchester Academy in High Point, son of Caryn and Carl Wright of High Point.

Catayah Angelia Duncan of Charles E. Jordan Senior High School, daughter of Sandra and Marvin Duncan of Durham.

Jessica Lauren Friedman of the N.C. School of Science & Mathematics, daughter of Jill and William Friedman of Durham.

Jonathan David McNeill of Riverside High School, son of Diana and David McNeill of Durham.

Robert Daniel Peters of Tarboro High School, son of Deborah and R. Brookes Peters of Tarboro.

*Alexandra Lyndon Bey of West Forsyth High School, daughter of Margaret L. Gallagher of Clemmons and Richard D. Bey of Yadkinville.

Sarah Rebecca Rabil of Mount Tabor High School, daughter of Stephen Rabil of Winston-Salem.

Laura Nelson Boyce of South Point High School, daughter of Kathleen and Richard Boyce of Belmont.

Glenn Michael Brandys of Highland School of Technology, son of Kathy-Anne and J. Christopher Brandys of Belmont.

Susanna Katherine Rankin of East Gaston High School, daughter of Sabine and Haywood Rankin of Gastonia.

Quinton Antione Harper of Greene Central High School, son of Debra Yancey of Snow Hill and Junior Harper Jr. of Hookerton.

Jennifer Ellen Cimaglia of Northwest Guilford High School, daughter of Ellen and John Cimaglia of Summerfield.

David Luke Eller of T. Wingate Andrews High School, son of Barbara and Thomas Eller of High Point.

David Thomas Kronenfeld of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, son of Deborah and Mark Kronenfeld of Greensboro.

Casey Murrell Oakley of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, daughter of Donna and Clifford Oakley of Gibsonville.

Anoop Singh of Greensboro Day School, son of Rupinder Kaur and Jasbir Singh of Summerfield.

Shannan Renee Wooten of Ben L. Smith High School, daughter of Eileen and Felton Wooten of Greensboro.

Ioana Andreea Rus of East Henderson High School, daughter of Maria and Ioan Rus of Hendersonville.

Christina Jean Craig of Mooresville Senior High School, daughter of Carol and Steven Craig of Mooresville.

Peggy Davis Nicholson of Statesville High School, daughter of Nancy Davis and James Nicholson of Statesville.

Michael Parker Ayers of Smoky Mountain High School, son of Donna and Stephen Ayers of Cullowhee.

Bryan P. Murphy of Lee County Senior High School, son of Linda and Rodney Murphy of Sanford.

Megan Claire Dawson of North Lenoir High School, daughter of Penny and Dickie Dawson of La Grange.

James Stockton Perry Jr. of Kinston High School, son of Joan Templeton and James Stockton Perry of Kinston.

Thomas Elias Cluderay of Charlotte Country Day School, son of Randi B. Edmiston and Thomas Cluderay of Charlotte.

Margaret-Ann Griffin of South Mecklenburg High School, daughter of Gail Cox of Charlotte and Keith Bernard Griffin of Waldorf, Md.

Elias James Faison Hicks of Charlotte Country Day School, son of Susan and Isham Hicks of Charlotte.

Lindsey Christine Kueser of Charlotte Catholic High School, daughter of Susan and Thomas Kueser of Charlotte.

Philip Wilson McCrory of McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn., son of Philip and Marsha McCrory of Charlotte. (McCory is an out-of-state finalist, nominated by his school in Tennessee, but also is a North Carolina resident.)

Catherine Mary Reed of East Mecklenburg High School, daughter of Constance and Frank Reed of Charlotte.

Amanda Woollen Shintay of Myers Park High School, daughter of Mary and Peter Shintay of Charlotte.

Helen Caples Smith of Myers Park High School, daughter of Vicki and Greg Smith of Charlotte.

Nicholas Boddie Mosley of Rocky Mount Academy, son of Anne and Michael Mosley of Rocky Mount.

Melissa Jane Milstead of Emsley A. Laney High School, daughter of Suzanne and Robert Milstead of Wilmington.

Niti Sheth of John T. Hoggard High School, daughter of Jaya and Sam Sheth of Wilmington.

Sean Ryan VonLembke of Northside High School, son of Ronald VonLembke of Jacksonville and Cara Lea Holmes Smith of Ashburn, Va.

James Stephen Allred of Chapel Hill Senior High School, son of Julia and Stephen Allred of Chapel Hill.

Seyward Lanier Darby of Junius H. Rose High School, daughter of Catherine and Leonard Darby of Greenville.

Anna Victoria Evans of Lumberton Senior High School, daughter of Jeanette and Samuel Evans of Fairmont.

Mark Christopher McIntyre of Fairmont High School, son of Gloria and John McIntyre of Fairmont.

Danielle McLean of South Robeson High School, daughter of Paula and Danny McLean of Maxton.

Matthew David Hoffman of East Rowan High School, son of Deborah and David Hoffman of Salisbury.

Sarah Ashley Morris of Salisbury High School, daughter of Pamela and Joseph Morris of Salisbury.

Kristopher Scott Jordan of Rutherfordton-Spindale High School, son of Susan and W. Scott Jordan of Rutherfordton.

Damian Anthony Cannon of Needham B. Broughton High School, son of Hazel and Howard Cannon of Raleigh.

Ashmita Chatterjee of Jesse O. Sanderson High School, daughter of Rita and Ashok Chatterjee of Raleigh.

Zachary Scott Clayton of Needham B. Broughton High School, son of Mary and Jack Clayton of Raleigh.

Neeti Doshi of Ravenscroft School, daughter of Usha and Vasant Doshi of Raleigh.

Reed Ahti Malin of Cary Academy, son of Katherine and Peter Malin of Durham.

Erika Marie Stallings of Eastern Wayne High School, daughter of Samanthia Lee of Goldsboro.

Mary Gordon Fesperman of Wilkes Central Senior High School, daughter of Sarah and Joseph Fesperman of North Wilkesboro.

Adam Thomas Ricketts of Wilkes Central Senior High School, son of Nancy and Robert Ricketts of North Wilkesboro.

*Alexandra Lyndon Bey of West Forsyth High School, daughter of Margaret L. Gallagher of Clemmons and Richard D. Bey of Yadkinville.

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Morehead Foundation contacts: Charles Lovelace, Erika Williamson, 919-962-1201
News Services contact: L.J. Toler, 919-962-8589