The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority recently selected Fidal Wilkins as a recipient of a $12,000 Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarship. Wilkins attended Polk County High School and plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Wilkins is one of 215 students selected to receive a $3,000 scholarship each year for up to four years of study at a participating NC public university or private non-profit college or university.

Recipients are from rural, economically distressed North Carolina counties and are selected based on a number of criteria, including a review of school and community service activities, goals and expressed intent to contribute to rural communities.

The Golden LEAF Foundation created the Golden LEAF Scholarship program to broaden educational opportunities and provide support to students from rural counties, with the hope that after graduation, recipients will provide leadership in these communities.

“The Golden LEAF Board of Directors has been pleased to assist more than seven thousand students from families in rural communities attend college since 2000,” said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF president. “The Golden LEAF Scholarship is one of the many tools we have to help fulfill our purpose of growing North Carolina’s rural economy. Our hope is that through this scholarship opportunity, scholars will be able to gain valuable knowledge and skills and come back to their hometowns or another rural area to help our communities prosper.”

The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,089 other grants totaling more than $502 million since its inception.

The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) administers the program on behalf of the Golden LEAF Foundation.

For more information, please visit CFNC.org or call College Foundation of North Carolina, toll-free, at 866-866-CFNC (2362).

–article submitted by Robbie Schultz