ROCKINGHAM — Finding the balance between working hard in the classroom and on the field is paying off for four student-athletes at Richmond Senior High School.
Announced last week by the school’s administration, seniors Noah Aiken, Carson Jordan, Bradford Pittman and Jonathan Rich are all in the running for the University of North Carolina’s Morehead-Cain Scholarship.
Aiken and Rich were also named nominees for the Park Scholarship at North Carolina State University.
Both scholarships are among the nation’s best and offer college students a full academic ride and are based on merit. Other criteria for the nomination includes leadership, character, and scholarship and physical vigor.
The Morehead-Cain Scholarship, founded in 1945, was the country’s first merit-based scholarship and fully funds four years and four summers at Chapel Hill.
Richmond’s head principal Jim Butler explained that the process begins with an invitation sent to the top academic seniors to participate in the process. Interested students sent in a resume for review by the scholarship committee.
From the resumes received, students were selected to interview for the scholarships. This year, the interviews were conducted through Zoom and from the students’ record, resume and interview, the final candidates were selected.
“Richmond Senior has some of the best students in North Carolina,” Butler said. “There were many very good candidates in our pool. We would have been comfortable with several other candidates beyond the four selected. The class of 2021 did not make this an easy selection.
“All four have seen their junior and senior years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he continued. “Through this adversity, they have maintained high standards as students and athletes. I am very proud to have them move forward in the scholarship process. Each of them will be outstanding representatives of RSHS.”
Aiken, who plays soccer for Richmond and has a 4.75 GPA, hopes to pursue a career in the medical or dental field while also majoring in psychology. He reacted to his two nominations and talked about the group’s success on and off the field.
“It’s a feeling I’ve dreamt about as a student aspiring to go to college,” Aiken said. “It’s really hard to describe. UNC has been my dream school since elementary school and N.C. State has been a close second. My hard work is finally paying off and I’m more than excited for the next four years of my life.
“Having four student-athletes (as nominees) shows the true meaning of a student-athlete,” he added. “I think it also shows that a person doesn’t have to be defined as a student or an athlete. It is absolutely possible to manage sports and school, and the time management skills derived from it are nothing short of valuable.”
Rich is a two-sport athlete who makes golf his No. 1 sport, while he has also bowled for the Raiders. With a 4.75 GPA, he plans to major in pre-med and acknowledges some of the most rewarding parts of being a dual-nominee.
“It’s a pretty great feeling. It’s humbling because I know there were a lot of people that deserved it but I was fortunate enough to have been selected,” Rich said of the two nominations. “I’ve worked really hard throughout high school and I’m really grateful to have this opportunity. I know that after all of the long nights and extra hours spent doing extracurriculars that they’re really paying off.
“The most rewarding part is knowing that all of my hard work is being acknowledged. Sometimes during school I would be a little discouraged and forget why I was taking hard classes on top of sports and clubs. Now all of those things are really helping me get amazing opportunities for my future.”
For Pittman, attending UNC is a family tradition. Both of his parents graduated from Chapel Hill, as well as two of his older siblings. His sister Kathleen, a former Lady Raider student-athlete, is currently a junior at UNC.
Also a soccer and tennis player for the Raiders with a 4.73 GPA, Pittman hopes to major in computer science. He explained his key to success for managing the rigor of school and sports.
“It’s a tremendous honor being a finalist for the Morehead-Cain,” Pittman said. “It’s an amazing opportunity that I’m thankful to receive.
“The key to balancing schoolwork and sports is to keep track of the work that’s due and when it’s due in each class,” he added. “It’s always a good idea to get ahead in a class when it’s possible.”
Jordan is also a multi-sport student-athlete with a 4.75 GPA who has run cross country and wrestled for Richmond. Planning to study pharmacy, Jordan explained his reaction and spoke about celebrating the honor with several of his closest classmates.
“It was extremely unexpected, especially after competing with some of the most talented and brightest students at Richmond,” Jordan said. “It came as a shock, and I am extremely grateful to make it this far.
“Receiving this honor with people I know well brings me relief, as I know that we can confide in each other to become better candidates.”
Semifinalists will be announced by the Morehead-Cain Scholarship on Dec. 18, followed by video interviews with the selection committee. The finalists won’t be announced until Jan. 15 and the final selection weekend is slated to begin Feb. 27.
Aiken and Rich will also find out in mid December whether or not they are Park Scholarship finalists.
“The Morehead and Park scholarships recognize great students who are much more than academically excellent,” Butler closed. “Students involved in athletics, clubs and the community represent the type of student that is sought.
“RSHS has four outstanding candidates. All four of these young men represent the active, highly-involved, well-rounded student wanted by UNC and N.C. State.”
