N.C. A&T Announces the 2019 Cheatham-White Scholars Cohort

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 18, 2019) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has announced the newest cohort of Cheatham-White Scholarship recipients, who are among the highest-achieving students expected to enroll at this fall.

The 25 academically talented incoming freshmen boast an average cumulative GPA of 4.34, a score of 1,384 on the SAT and an ACT score of 30. On average, these scholars rank in the top 10-12 percent of their graduating high school classes. Nineteen of the scholars hail from North Carolina, with the remaining six from Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Tennessee and Virginia.

“We are excited to welcome this group of exceptional students to the Aggie family,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Beryl McEwen. “We believe these students will utilize the tools and opportunities available to them to meet and exceed the expectations they have set for themselves as well as those set for them by their families and this institution.”

This scholarship is named for Henry P. Cheatham and George H. White, two African Americans who represented North Carolina in the United States Congress around the turn of the 20th century. From difficult beginnings – Cheatham was born enslaved, and White, the son of a mother whom historians say was also likely enslaved – each worked hard to earn a university education before launching careers in teaching, law and ultimately public service. The scholarship is a fully funded four-year award that covers the costs of tuition, student fees, housing, meals, textbooks, a laptop computer, supplies, travel and personal expenses.

Scholarships also provides four summers of fully funded enrichment and networking opportunities that may include international travel and study. It is truly a complete award, meant to recognize academic achievement and potential at the highest levels.

This year’s scholars are listed below in alphabetical order:

• Lyric Armstrong, daughter of Mia Hatten, is from Charlotte, North Carolina. She will graduate from Olympic High School and plans to major in laboratory animal science with a minor in marketing (sales). Her ultimate career goal after completing her degree is to have a positive influence on animals, whether from owning a chain of animal hospitals or traveling the world as a veterinarian.
• Ashley Bailey, daughter of Joshua and Lakina Bailey, is from Garner, North Carolina. She will graduate from Garner Magnet High School and plans to major in biology with a minor in Spanish. Her future career aspiration is to be a forensic medical examiner.
• Janae Baker, daughter of Lee and Veronica Baker, is from Stone Mountain, Georgia. She will graduate from Arabia Mountain High School and plans to major in psychology with a minor in business administration. She plans to own her own practice as a clinical psychologist and specialize in postpartum depression and childhood mental health. She wants to advocate for mental health awareness in the African-American community and make mental health services accessible to all.
• Kamar Brown, son of Arthur and Lashel Brown, is from Goldsboro, North Carolina. He will graduate from Wayne Early Middle College High School and plans to major in engineering physics with a minor in mechanical engineering. He plans to create new technologies that will push the world into a brighter future.
• Anthony Caison, son of Anthony Caison and Santrell Caison, is from Wake Forest, North Carolina. He will graduate from Heritage High School and plans to major in industrial engineering. After acquiring his degree, his goal is to have a career in industrial engineering so that he can work on improving systems and processes that will ultimately improve the lives of others.
• Ashlynn Gibson, daughter of Anthony and Falecia Gibson, is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She will graduate from North Raleigh Christian Academy and plans to major in economics with a law concentration. Her goal is to attend law school and to work for an international company as a legal advisor. Her future career aspiration is to own her own investing company in the future.
• Mychael Harvey, daughter of Tamika Givens, is from Richmond, Virginia. She will graduate from Richmond Community High School and plans to major in nursing with a minor in dance. Her ultimate career goal is to become a successful neonatal nurse and to own a dance studio to work in part-time.
• Timothy Honablew, son of Belinda Halstead, is from Baltimore, Maryland. He will graduate from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and plans to major in physics with a minor in computer science. His ultimate career goal is to unify general relativity and quantum mechanics into a unified theory of everything.
• Sanai Hyman, daughter of Darryn Hyman and Tiffany Crawley, is from Bowie, Maryland. She will graduate from Eleanor Roosevelt High School and plans to major in professional theater. Her ultimate career goal is to create a business that brings affordable creative and performing arts education to underserved and overlooked communities.
• Ahmad Joyner, son of Jeffrey Joyner and Marvina Hamilton, is from High Point, North Carolina. He will graduate from Southwest Guilford High School and plans to major in computer science with a minor in business. His career goals are to develop apps to better the world in areas that many seem to overlook. He wants to learn how to develop an app with artificial intelligence that would better the lives of those with disabilities, like his brother, so that their lives and parents' lives are made easier.
• Taylor King, daughter of Kelsey and Michelle King, is from Harrisburg, North Carolina. She will graduate from Hickory Ridge High School and plans to major in management with a concentration in business administration. Upon completion of her degree program, she plans to become a corporate chief of staff, helping to implement strategic initiatives to advance both small and large companies.
• Lewis Long, son of Lewis and Audrey Long, is from Charlotte, North Carolina. He will graduate from Cato Middle College High School and plans to major in chemical engineering with a minor in management (entrepreneurship). He plans to work with companies to design processes to eliminate waste. He also plans to launch a business with a focus on building more sustainable and equitable communities in rural areas and around the world. In the future, He would also like to start a nonprofit organization that provides training for those who do not have the opportunity to attend college but want to learn technical skills. These vocational skills can help to improve recycling or reuse waste in their communities.
• Akanke Mason-Hogans, daughter of Dr. Cory Hogans and Danita Mason-Hogans, is from Durham, North Carolina. She will graduate from JDC Early College High School and plans to major in chemical engineering with a minor in business. Akanke’s ultimate career objective is to own a company that produces natural hair care and cosmetic products that are chemically equitable and that do not result in adverse health outcomes in those who use them.
• Milosh McAdoo, son of Frederick and Stefanie McAdoo, is from Efland, North Carolina. He will graduate from Orange High School and plans on majoring in animal science. After earning a degree, he plans to pursue a career in livestock genetics or reproductive physiology. Through research and industry-influenced application, he wants to help contribute to the improvement of livestock reproduction practices, and further support livestock producers in the United States and foreign countries. He hopes that his work will make a positive impact on solving food insecurity in areas that depend on smaller livestock species as a primary source of sustenance.
• Kalen McFadden, son of William and Chantel McFadden, is from Memphis, Tennessee. He will graduate from White Station High School and plans to major in finance. His career goal is to become a financial analyst and adviser.
• Jordan Miller, son of Katina Miller, is from Huntersville, North Carolina. He will graduate from Lake Norman Charter High School and plans to major in biological engineering with a minor in French. He plans to go to graduate school after college and wants to do research in the tissue-engineering field. He would also like to be a professor later on in his career.
• Hasana Muhammad, daughter of Audrey Muhammad, is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She will graduate from Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy and plans to major in computer science with a minor in business. Her career goal is to develop a graphic design business, even creating graphic design software. She would also like to continue in web development, start a business to help startups get their brand out to the world. She has always been fascinated with virtual reality and augmented reality. She would like to go into researching about “full dive” virtual reality where a person’s body is unmoving, but can move around in the virtual world.
• Serach Patterson, son of Merald and Tomeka Patterson, is from of Durham, North Carolina. He will graduate from Durham School of the Arts and plans is to major in biomedical engineering. He plans to go to medical school to become a physical therapist. In this position, he can provide healthcare to people who are on the road to recovery. He hopes that with his knowledge in biomedical engineering and physical therapy, he can find treatments that allow people who cannot afford the steep prices of drugs to find alternative ways to put their health into their own hands.
• Kennedy Reid, daughter of Wesley and Lorrie Reid, is from Greensboro, North Carolina. She will graduate from Grimsley High School and plans to major in international business with a minor in Spanish. Her ultimate career goal after completing her degree at North Carolina A&T State University is to continue her education at a higher level possibly going into the field of law. After graduating with her post-secondary degree, while she is undecided on her potential career path, she hopes to combine her love of international travel, financial literacy and helping others.
• Alyssa Rorie, daughter of Reginald and Madonna Rorie, is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She will graduate from Enloe High School and plans to major in chemical engineering. She would like to use her chemical engineering degree to research ways to make clean, potable water more accessible to people around the world.
• Martin Searcy, son of Leonard and Michelle Searcy, is from Shawnee, Kansas. He will graduate from De Soto High School and plans to major in bioengineering. After completing his degree in bioengineering at North Carolina A&T State University, he hopes to attend medical school to become a doctor and use his education and training in medicine. He would like to use his bioengineering expertise to invent prosthetics and artificial body parts that are more readily available, more economical, and less prone to rejection. With these organs and prosthetics, he will improve people's length and quality of life around the world.
• Hadiya Sessions, daughter of Tywan and Andrea Sessions, is from Charlotte, North Carolina. She will graduate from Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology and plans to major in chemical engineering. She plans to pursue a career as a chemical engineer working for a company that practices sustainable engineering and strives to make a positive impact on the community.
• Adrian Shackleford, son of Kelvin and April Shackleford, is from Wilson, North Carolina. He will graduate from Fike High School and plans to major in visual media design. His ultimate career goal is to become a creative director of a clothing company and to become an influence in the art, business and fashion world.
• Alexa Smith, daughter of Alex and Andrea Smith, is from Harrisburg, North Carolina. She will graduate from Concord High School and plans to major in architectural engineering. Alexa is excited about all the possibilities by pursuing a degree in architecture. She has always wanted to use her art to influence and inspire. Her contribution to artistic ideas can help to build a better, more innovative world and open up opportunities for black girls like her. Architecture can layer the foundations for new heights in the sky, but also design stepping-stones for others.
• Aniyah Sneed, daughter of Angela Sneed and Eric Williams, is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She will graduate from Enloe High School and plans to major in chemistry with a minor in marketing. Aniyah’s career goal is to make a difference in the forensics community. She wants to reduce the number of African American men and women wrongfully incarcerated due to faulty and biased forensics.