Eligibility
To be considered, a candidate must:
- Be a high school senior who is planning on matriculating into a postsecondary program in North Carolina beginning in the fall of 2023.
- See the Application Procedure below.
Value
First place - $3,000, second place - $1,000, third place - $800 and three fourth places - $400.
Application Procedure
- A completed application form answering all questions and supplying all requested documents.
- An original essay of 500 to 700 words on the subject below.
2023 Essay Topic: Spotlight on Early Immigration
Our country owes so much to the different people who have immigrated. For your essay, choose a people-group (or even an individual person) who arrived prior to 1770 in any of the 13 original colonies of the United States and find out about their experiences. Some ideas are: Scots-Irish, Highland Scot, English, German, Dutch, Swiss, African, Caribbean, Huguenot, Presbyterian, Moravian, Quaker, Puritan, or any other group that you wish to highlight.
Be sure to describe:
- Group's characteristics (economic factors, beliefs, behaviors, etc.) - From where they originated and why they left - Their path of migration (point of entry, migration through the colonies, some of the places that they ended up) - What conditions were like in their new location - Any signs of their legacy in the present-day - Your personal reactions to this information
Remember you must document from where you obtained a particular piece of information, including citations within the body of your paper and a list of works consulted at the end. |
The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of merit of the individual essay (75%), scholarship and character (20%), and need (5%).
Deadline
The deadline of all materials to be submitted online is February 5, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.
Additional Information
The awards will be announced in late March or early April 2023.
Note: Family members of current NSCDA-NC Officers, Board Members, and State Committee Chairs are not eligible to apply.
Questions? More information?
Email: [email protected]
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 Lolita Cox, first recipient of the Florence Kidder Memorial Scholarship, founded in 1923.
2022 Scholarship Winners
This year, we received a total of 89 applications. 28 of these made it to the statewide competition. This year’s essays were well thought out, educational, creative and delightful to read. We had a difficult time narrowing the competition down to a winner and runners-up.

The first place $3,000 winner this year is Virginia Plettner. Virginia wrote a well-researched and informative essay about the Sardis Community of Mecklenburg County where she attends school and works a part-time job. Virginia is from the Mecklenburg Committee area and attends Charlotte Christian School. Virginia has great grades, is a member of the National Honor Society, was named student athlete of the week and helped care for her disabled grandfather who lived with her family. The teacher who recommended Virginia wrote, “...Virginia is well respected among her peers. She is mature, kind and polite.”
Read the essay here.

The second place $1000 award goes to Margaret Moore who wrote a well-researched paper about the history of the Sappony Tribe of Person county. Her paper emphasized the Sappony “are a group of people who should be celebrated, respected and recognized.” Margaret attends Eno River Academy in Orange County and is presented by the Durham-Orange Committee. She has excellent grades, is in three honor societies, including the National Honor Society and she served as a Governors Page. Her letter of recommendation states that Margaret is a “fast learner, ambitious leader, and important member to [her] community.”
Read the essay here.

A third place $800 award goes to Sam Ogburn, presented by the Buncombe committee. He wrote about the Hazel Creek Community and the town of Proctor which was flooded and overtaken during the building of the Fontana Dam. Sam is in the top of his class, was awarded the SCC Student of Distinction Award, and invited to the National Technical Honors Society by his school President.
Read the essay here.
Three $400 fourth place awards go to Ashlyn Hannon (read here) presented by the Rowan Committee, Sarina Horner (read here) presented by the Forsyth Committee and Samuel Hoy (read here) presented by the Pamlico Committee.
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