Collage banner showing student activities and campus life: two scuba divers underwater; a group photo outdoors on a trail; a formal group photo in front of a wall display; two people seated on a camel holding a “No Quarter” sign; and a large group wearing purple shirts gathered at the base of a tall white lighthouse, with arrows suggesting progression across the images.

2026 Brinkley-Lane Scholars

ECU Honors College welcomes 21 new scholars

Millar Berry
Sydney Carden
Gabriela Castillo
Isabella Dameron
Peyton Denton
Starla Fuller
Anelise Herdman
Ankit Kantheti
Anna Kurschat
Clara Lage
Amala Mani
Kathryn Miller-Vail
Malory Oakley
Dillon Patel
Hasini Pratapa
Whitney Roberts
Penny Smith
Rachel Themistokleous
Leslie Uwakwe
Lamont Vines Jr.
Addison Woods

2030 Cohort

May 20, 2026

East Carolina University will welcome 21 students to campus this fall as the largest cohort of Brinkley-Lane Scholars in the program’s history.

Housed in the Honors College, the Brinkley-Lane Scholars program 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. Both in-state and out-of-state recipients receive a fully funded education, covering the cost of tuition, fees, room and board, and high impact experiences. Included in the scholarship is the ability to explore the world and pursue additional educational opportunities with a $5,000 study abroad stipend and a $3,000 enrichment scholarship. Scholars benefit from access to an array of leadership opportunities, research with award-winning faculty and a robust alumni network.

This year’s cohort brings an array of experiences to ECU including being presidents and founders of organizations, participants in international service projects, championship-winning varsity athletes and research award winners. The 21 students hail from 10 North Carolina counties as well as Maryland, Germany and Brazil and plan to study majors ranging from business and nursing to theatre education and security studies.

The competitive selection process involved around 150 ECU faculty and staff and multiple rounds of review. Fifty finalists were selected from nearly 900 applications and were invited to visit ECU’s campus in February for Selection Sunday to interview for the final spots. This event showcased everything ECU and the program have to offer and allowed them to connect with current students, alumni, faculty and friends of the program.

Learn more about the program on the Brinkley-Lane Scholars program website.

Photos by Rhett Butler