Sarayu Adala
Sarayu Adala has an older cousin who was an East Carolina University EC Scholar and 2020 graduate, so Adala is aware of the prestigious award and commitment. She also is excited about her own path as an EC Scholar.
“I never thought I would have ended up at ECU when I was a freshman in high school,” said Adala, who grew up in Charlotte and attends Ardrey Kell High School. “After discovering this scholarship program and knowing my cousin graduated and lives in Greenville, I learned about the program through her and it’s just such a unique experience that I never would have received going to another school. You are treated a lot more special in this program, so that is why I ended up choosing the EC Scholars program over any other school.”
Adala, 18, is planning to major in biology and said she is excited to meet professors and make new friends during her first semester.
She has a particular interest in women’s health. During the process of choosing a college, she also envisioned ECU being a perfect fit for her future aspirations to go to medical school and eventually specialize in OB/GYN care.
“That is what I’m hoping to do and I think I could achieve that because ECU has a lot of resources and medical facilities around and support,” Adala said.
EC Scholars is 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 and a stipend for study abroad for a total value of nearly $64,000.
“Being an EC Scholar is being invested in by a school to get a great education, but also having the opportunity to give back to your community,” Adala said. “It’s especially in the service projects and going to different places around the country and also creating a tight-knit group. I think it will be a great experience to help the community around you, but also build a good group of friends, get a great education for yourself and build a future.”
Adala has interest in playing intramural sports at ECU and continuing her craft in Indian classical dance, which she has practiced since she was 5 years old. She also wants to help in medical care as much as possible.
“Especially in rural areas, I know a lot of people don’t have access to certain facilities that are more available in urban areas,” she said. “So especially when doing study abroad that the EC Scholars do, I would like to go to a more rural community and help out with clinics and see if any kids or patients, in general, we could give free medicine or free treatment. I would love to help out volunteering in that sort of way.”
“Being an EC Scholar is being invested in by a school to get a great education, but also having the opportunity to give back to your community.”
High school: Ardrey Kell High School
Intended major: Biology
Hometown: Charlotte