Kaylee Warren
Kaylee Warren will follow in her father’s footsteps when she attends East Carolina University this fall.
She hadn’t really given serious thought to his alma mater until she toured campus and attended an Honors College session.
“I left knowing ECU had something special for me,” she said. “The people I have met during my visits to campus have only been kind and helpful, and they are people I can’t wait to be surrounded by this fall.”
Warren is one of 20 incoming EC Scholars, the most prestigious undergraduate award program offered at ECU. The four-year merit scholarship recognizes outstanding academic performance, commitment to community engagement and strong leadership skills. Recipients receive an Honors College scholarship, along with a stipend for study abroad, for a total value of nearly $63,000.
“To me, being an EC Scholar means I will have the opportunity to grow as a person socially and academically while advancing my leadership skills and honoring my commitment to furthering my education,” Warren said.
At ECU, she wants to get involved in a campus ministry, where she can meet new friends with similar values. “My faith has played a huge role in my life, and I want to be able to continue growing in my faith at ECU,” Warren said.
For study abroad, Warren is exploring options but is interested in the Semester at Sea program, a ship-based program offering a global experience for all majors.
She also would like to be a math tutor for children in Pitt County Schools, something the 17-year-old has done at home as a member of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society at Mooresville Senior High School. She also has been a member of the National Honor Society, Link Leader and the Student Government Association. She has been a four-year member of the marching band as well as the swim team, which she co-captained her senior year. She has been dually enrolled at Mitchell Community College.
She has devoted hours of service, including painting homes, doing yard work, serving meals and helping with special events at her church, Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church.
Last summer, she went on a 23-day, coast-to-coast journey across the United States – no cell phones allowed – with Teens Westward Bound. She was one of 81 high school students from North Carolina and South Carolina on the trip. “Teens Westward Bound helped me to get out of my comfort zone and feel more comfortable talking to strangers, which ended up turning into lifelong friends,” Warren said.
She said that experience has prepared her for college and helped break her addiction to social media and technology, allowing her to focus more on people and her surroundings.
This summer, Warren will take a seven-day cruise with her mom, dad and grandfather from Vancouver, Canada, through the Inside Passage to Seward, Alaska, before continuing on land in Anchorage, Talkeetna and Denali National Park.
In addition, Warren will work as a lifeguard, neighborhood swim team coach and ice cream truck driver before heading to ECU in August.
After graduation, Warren plans to pursue a master’s degree in statistics or business analytics. Her dream job is to work at SAS one day.
She is the daughter of Chris and Stacie Warren of Mooresville.
“To me, being an EC Scholar means I will have the opportunity to grow as a person socially and academically while advancing my leadership skills and honoring my commitment to furthering my education.”
High school: Mooresville Senior High School
Intended major: Mathematics
Hometown: Mooresville