Luncheon honors ECU’s 84 Golden LEAF scholarship recipients

From being a member of the Marching Pirates to becoming a better leader, Krysta Byrd has enjoyed her nearly two years as a student at East Carolina University. It’s an experience made possible through the Golden LEAF Scholars Program.

Chancellor Philip Rogers applauds during the Golden LEAF Scholars Luncheon in the Black Box Theater at the Main Campus Student Center. (Photos by Cliff Hollis)

Byrd was among 84 Golden LEAF scholars at ECU recognized Thursday during a celebratory luncheon inside the Black Box Theater at the Main Campus Student Center.

“This is the biggest help,” Byrd said of the $3,000 annual scholarship. “I come from a small family. It’s just my dad and me, so it’s really the only way I can go to college.”

The sophomore biology major from nearby Stokes who plays the flute and piccolo in the band said the scholarship goes beyond financial implications.

“It’s like I’m in training to be a better leader,” said Byrd, who’s interested in drug research and perhaps a career in the pharmaceutical industry. “I’ve been able to meet new people and make connections with new people.”

Golden LEAF awards 215 scholarships annually across the state, and ECU is home to the largest number of Golden LEAF scholars in the University of North Carolina system.

Chancellor Philip Rogers spoke at the event and said the scholars program helps the university fulfill its mission to transform the region by giving students opportunities to affect change in rural communities upon graduation.

“Our legacy has prided itself on not turning away from our people in eastern North Carolina but by unapologetically embracing them,” Rogers said.

He noted that ECU was selected as a First-gen Forward institution by the Center for First-generation Student Success, and that many Golden LEAF scholarship recipients are first-generation college students.

“We do that through the way in which we serve rural students, bringing students from places like Northampton County or Bertie County into East Carolina University to help them obtain a higher education degree,” Rogers said. “I’m so proud of the fact that we serve twice as many rural students in the state of North Carolina than any other public higher education institution in our state. We give them a chance. We give our students a chance to go off and be dentists and doctors and nutritionists and accountants, scientists or teachers or whatever key job they move out into that our economy needs in our state.”

Golden LEAF scholar Krysta Byrd listens to speakers during a luncheon honoring ECU’s 84 Golden LEAF scholarship recipients.

He thanked Golden LEAF leadership for its support of the university — noting among other things the foundation’s $1.9 million grant for the Eastern Region Pharma Center in the new Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building — as well as its support of ECU students through the scholars program.

“Today is, more than anything, about saying thank you,” Rogers said. “It’s about saying thank you and congratulations to our scholars and alums, and it’s about saying thank you to the Golden LEAF Foundation for your long-standing and tremendous support of East Carolina University.”

The event included highlights from scholarship alumni who have gone on to be authors, educators, social workers and dentists.

Scott Hamilton, president and chief executive officer of Golden LEAF, called the stories inspiring.

“This has been a long-term investment in North Carolina to be able to make sure folks have the opportunity to go to school, and once they’ve had that opportunity, to be able to go back to a rural community and pay it forward,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton announced that the Golden LEAF board had approved a $500 annual increase in the scholarship amount, and with roughly 2,000 applications each year, scholars have the honor of being among the best at their respective institutions.

He encouraged the scholars to make connections with each other as well as scholarship alumni and to take advantage of resources available to them so their influence can be far-reaching.

“When you go back to a rural community, you’re going back for an opportunity, and you’re going back to help that opportunity grow and prosper,” Hamilton said.

The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding received from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. For 20 years, Golden LEAF has worked to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.

ECU is in the public phase of the Pursue Gold campaign to raise half a billion dollars. This ambitious effort will create new paths to success for Pirates on campus, across the country and around the world. Donor gifts during the campaign will keep us constantly leading and ready to advance what’s possible. Learn more at pursuegold.ecu.edu.

ECU’s Golden LEAF scholars pose for a picture with members of the Golden LEAF Foundation and Chancellor Philip Rogers.