UNC Charlotte’s Levine Scholars Program has selected the 20 young leaders from across the United States who will be the members of the 10th class of this prestigious, academically competitive scholarship program. The scholars will join the University beginning with the fall 2019 semester.
“The response of top students from North Carolina and across the country continues to be outstanding,” said Chancellor Philip L. Dubois. “As with the program’s first nine classes, the students who join us this fall as Levine Scholars are among the very best. We are very pleased that they have chosen UNC Charlotte.”
Diane Zablotsky, faculty director of the Levine Scholars Program, echoed those sentiments: “We are energized by the achievements and potential of the high school seniors selected for the Levine Scholars Program. The class of 2023 is as fine and richly diverse a group of students as we have ever enrolled in the program. They will be studying in various majors across campus with a breadth of interests and talents, and we look forward to welcoming them into the program.”
The University’s most prominent merit-based scholarship is valued at approximately $105,000 per North Carolina student and $155,000 for each student from other states. It covers full tuition, housing, meals, books, mandatory fees and summer experiences. Additional funding supports civic engagement opportunities and professional development during the scholars’ academic years.
This year’s Levine Scholars from North Carolina are:
Amogh Umesh Bandekar, Mooresville, Lake Norman High School, child of Umesh and Sneha Bandekar; Ariah Elizabeth Brown, Andrews, Andrews High School, child of Darryl and Melissa Brown; Bain W. Brown, Penrose, Brevard Senior High School, child of David and Angela Brown; Allison Brooke File, Denver, North Lincoln High School, child of Tony and Lisa File; Quinton Heath Frederick, Lumberton, Lumberton High School, child of Jeff and Melinda Frederick; Xavier Gomez, Durham, Charles E. Jordan Senior High School, child of Shawn and Andreya Gomez; Surasya Guduru, Clayton, Clayton High School, child of Sudheer and Usha Guduru; Wyatt Cole Jones, Louisburg, Louisburg High School, child of Randy and Cynthia Jones; Matthew Allen Lower, Greenville, D. H. Conley High School, child of Jeffrey and Angela Lower; Nicholson Cooper Manley, Charlotte, Mallard Creek High School, child of Paul and Genia Manley; Cameron Sims Mercer, Lexington, North Davidson High School, child of Robert and Amy Mercer; Madison Jewel Snyder, Surf City, Topsail High School, child of James and Kimberly Snyder; Trenton Grant Teague, North Wilkesboro, West Wilkes High School, child of Andrew and Angela Teague.
Out-of-state recipients are:
Kira Rene Chiles, Columbia, South Carolina, Blythewood High School, child of Kendrick and Wendy Chiles; Saad Jalisi, Brooklandville, Maryland, Gilman School, child of Hasan Jalisi and Azra Hussaini; Samra Kanwal, Richmond, Virginia, Maggie L Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, child of Zahid Hussain and Nasreen Jan; McKenzie Rita Miller, New Richmond, Ohio, Archbishop McNicholas High School, child of Dean and Ursula Miller; Mya Noel Mitchell, Bowie, Maryland, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, child of Michael and Yolanda Mitchell; Taylor Renee Quinn, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Upper Saint Clair High School, child of Kevin and Barbara Quinn; Joshua Lee Rodriguez, David, Florida, Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School, child of Lemay and Dana Rodriguez.
Levine Scholars are selected through a lengthy nomination and interview process.
“The program saw the highest number of completed applications in its 10-year history,” said Abey Dessie, associate director of the Levine Scholars Program.
Established in 2009 through a $9.3 million gift from Leon and Sandra Levine through their foundation, the Levine Scholars Program was created to recruit extraordinary high school students based on scholarship, ethical leadership and civic engagement. In 2014, the Levines made an additional $13 million gift, which increased the scholarship from 15 recipients to approximately 20 each year beginning with the class of 2016. Leon Levine is the founder of Family Dollar Stores; he retired as chairman and CEO in 2003. The Levines are involved in a number of civic and charitable causes in the Charlotte region and throughout the Carolinas through the Leon Levine Foundation.
“We continue to be impressed by the outstanding potential of the students who join the Levine Scholars Program,” said Leon Levine. “We look forward to watching them grow through their University experiences and see their ongoing impact in our community, region and nation.”