Growing up in a small rural community in Wayne County shaped Evelyn Trejo’s values and sense of connection early on.

“Everybody knew each other,” she said. “I loved that about where I grew up. I definitely prefer the smaller town.”

That appreciation for close-knit communities has guided Trejo through her education and into her career. She graduated this year from the University of Mount Olive with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, though her path wasn’t always clear.

Golden LEAF Scholar Alumni Scholar Sydney Coe grew up in Siloam, North Carolina, a small community in Surry County where she now teaches third grade at Dobson Elementary School. A proud product of rural North Carolina, Coe says coming back home after college was always part of her plan.

Golden LEAF Scholar Alumnus Jeffrey Wilkins grew up in the small town of Micro located in Johnston County, where no one was a stranger.

“Growing up in Micro was very rural and quiet,” said Wilkins. “We lived next to a farm. It was the kind of place you rode bikes and played outside. I was a bike ride away from downtown Micro, in a town where you know everybody.”

This summer, 71 Golden LEAF Scholars participated in the Golden LEAF Rural Internship Initiative (RII), an opportunity designed to provide hands-on, career-relevant work experience in rural North Carolina communities. Three senior scholars, Joe Bolick, Caitlyn Rogers, and Nyanna Sherrod, who have participated in several summers of RII share how their internships are shaping their professional paths and deepening their connections to their home regions.

Golden LEAF Scholar alumnus Chandler Bumgarner grew up in Taylorsville, N.C., in rural Alexander County, holding a sense of community close to his heart.

This sense of community was significant as he began his college career at Western Carolina University. Chandler Bumgarner’s closest friends from back home attended his college with him, signifying what it meant to him to have a community and family of friends to lean on.

As commencement ceremonies unfold across North Carolina, a unique group of graduates carries with them not only their diplomas but also a commitment to the very communities that shaped them.

Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton has made it a priority to meet with Golden LEAF Scholars at their college or university to help connect them with the mission of and opportunities provided by Golden LEAF, the leadership of the institution they are attending, alumni, and their fellow scholars.

Golden LEAF Scholarship alumna Leleah Maher grew up in Rocky Mount with a passion for making an impact. She attended Nash Early College High School, where she finished high school and earned an associate degree in May 2022. She then attended North Carolina State University as a Social Work major.

By Emilly Hernandez-Rivera, External Affairs Intern Nick Stanley, a Golden LEAF scholarship alumnus, was born and raised in Pasquotank County, N.C. He currently works as