This year, the UNC American Indian Center is offering three monetary, scholastic awards for students that have demonstrated an interest in serving the North Carolina American Indian population. These awards are the Carolina Native Service Scholars Award (4 recipients), The Faith Danielle Hedgepeth Scholarship Award (1 recipient), and the Student Success Award (2 recipients). In total, 7 UNC students will be awarded! We are now accepting applications for these awards.
The deadline to apply for the Carolina Native Service Scholars Award (2), the Faith Danielle Hedgepeth Award (1), and the undergraduate recipient spot the AIC Student Success Award (1) has been extended to Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Each recipient will be featured in a spotlight article posted on our website and social media pages to honor their accomplishments. Recipients will be announced this November, during American Indian Heritage Month.
Award details are provided below. Should you have questions, contact Native Student Engagement Coordinator – Qua Adkins at qua.lynch@unc.edu or 919-843-5928.
Carolina Native Service Scholars Award
Background: The Carolina Native Service Scholars Award will pay a portion of book and supply expenses for Summer Bridge students who have demonstrated service and/or leadership in a NC Native community.
How to Apply: Interested applicants should provide a two-page single space essay (maximum) about their demonstrated service and/or leadership in a NC Native Community.
Completed applications should be sent to Qua Adkins at qua.lynch@unc.edu by 11:59pm on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 via email with “2022-2022 Carolina Native Service Scholars Award” as the subject line. Include your UNC PID# and date of birth in the email.
Award Amount: This year, four undergraduate students will be awarded $750 each to be used towards books and related school supplies.
Commitment: Students receiving the award will be encouraged to work at least one year during their first two years on a service project at the American Indian Center where they will be exposed to professional development, leadership, and community engagement opportunities. At the end of their service project, each intern will provide a written summary of their experience to be shared with the family making this award possible.
The Faith Danielle Hedgepeth Award
Background: The Faith Danielle Hedgepeth Award seeks to celebrate and honor the life of former Tar Heel, Faith Danielle Hedgepeth. Established in 2015, the award serves to support current Tar Heels along their academic journey while providing an avenue for impact outside the classroom though extracurricular engagement, as Faith did during her time on campus. Faith was involved in various student organizations such as the Carolina Indian Circle (CIC) as well as others. She was a cherished member of the Summer Bridge family and many other social circles. A central goal of Faith’s educational pursuits was to be better positioned to have a positive impact in her community upon completion of her present and future studies.
The Faith Danielle Hedgepeth Award may be used towards books and related school supplies. Applicants should be a female, sophomore undergraduate student interested in pursuing a career in a helping or health profession serving American Indian populations. Interested students should also be able to demonstrate a record of service to the American Indian campus community.
How to Apply: Applicants should provide no more than a two-page single-spaced essay (maximum) about their demonstrated service and leadership in a NC Native community and how that has informed their academic and professional goals. Additionally, applicants must submit a resume reflecting this service.
Completed applications should be sent to Qua Adkins at qua.lynch@unc.edu by 11:59pm on January 5, 2022 via email with “2021-2022 Faith Danielle Hedgepeth Award” as the subject line. Include your UNC PID# and date of birth in the email.
Award Amount: One student will receive $1,000 to be used towards books and related school supplies.
If you would like to financially support this award, visit https://unc.live/faith.
2021-2022 AIC Student Success Award
Background: This is the second offering of AIC Student Success Awards. This award seeks to honor two UNC students who have exemplified servant leadership within the American Indian Community of NC. This leadership can be exemplified either across Carolina’s campus (student group leadership, program development, etc.) or within tribal communities within the state. This award will honor one undergraduate and one graduate student who exemplifies this quality.
How to Apply: Interested applicants should provide a two-page single space essay (maximum) about their demonstrated service and/or leadership within the NC Native Community. Speak to how your service/leadership has impacted the Community your served and/or how it inspired the actions of others.
The graduate student recipient of this award has already been selected, but the undergraduate recipient has not yet been determined. Completed applications for the undergraduate student slot should be sent to Qua Adkins at qua.lynch@unc.edu by 11:59pm on January 5, 2022 via email with “2021-2022 AIC Student Success Award” as the subject line. Include your UNC PID#, date of birth, and academic year (1st year graduate, sophomore undergraduate, etc.) in the email.
Award Amount: One undergraduate and one graduate student will be awarded $500 each to be used towards books and related school supplies.