Golden LEAF Scholar alumna and Cherokee County native Bekah Mulligan knew she wanted to give back to her community and serve future generations through education. A member of the 2011 scholarship cohort, Mulligan graduated from Western Carolina University with a double major in history and secondary education.
This summer, 75 Golden LEAF Scholars participated in the Golden LEAF Rural Internship Initiative. The initiative is designed to provide students with hands-on, relevant work experience in rural North Carolina communities.
Growing up in Stanly County, Golden LEAF Scholar Alumna Kara Pless knew she wanted to return to the community she grew up in.
“This is home for me,” Pless said. “My husband and I built our house right beside my parents, and my sister lives on the other side. I am raising my family here.”
As North Carolina students turn their tassels and look towards the future, a group of graduates have plans to return to revitalize their rural communities.
“I am proud to celebrate our Golden LEAF Scholar graduates,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “These students have gained valuable knowledge and experience that will benefit both their futures and the rural communities they call home. Congratulations to the Class of 2026!”
This spring, Golden LEAF Scholars across North Carolina had the chance to connect, learn, and celebrate their shared experience through a series of campus visits.
As part of an ongoing effort to engage more deeply with scholars and connect them to the Foundation’s mission, Golden LEAF visited North Carolina State University, Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina Wesleyan University, and East Carolina University, bringing together students, university leadership, and alumni.
Golden LEAF Scholar Alumna Naziera Staton grew up in New Bern in Craven County. As a self-motivated individual, she always knew that she wanted to go to college.
“Growing up, for me, was very rural, very low income,” said Staton. “The trajectory was usually high school to workforce or trades. You could only go to college if you had enough financial assistance and push to do it. I was very self-motivated to do something different.
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 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, Golden LEAF Scholar alumni, and their fellow scholars.
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.”
