Press Releases May 12, 2021

NCC Students Selected as Goodnight Scholars

This week, two Nash Community College students were selected as members of the Transfer Class of 2024 Goodnight Scholars. Yasmin Arellano and Killian Smith were among the recipients selected for the North Carolina State University Goodnight Scholarship.
Yasmin Arellano is a Dean’s List student and is also the recipient of the 2021 NCC Excellence in Associate in Engineering Award. Yasmin earned Associate in Science and Associate in Engineering degrees from NCC in May 2021, with honors. Yasmin plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University.
Killian Smith graduated from Nash Community College with Associate in Science and Associate in Engineering degrees in May 2021, with honors. While at Nash, Killian was a student of high academic achievement, served as vice president in the NCC Dungeons and Dragons Club, was a member of several clubs, and was a key member in theater and community events hosted by the college. Killian plans to double major in Chemical Engineering and Paper Science at North Carolina State University.

These students now join the elite group of NCC Associate in Engineering program scholars selected for this distinction.  In 2018, NCC students Adriana Cabrera Zurita and Marilu Salazar were selected to join the Goodnight Scholar Program’s Transfer Class of 2021.

Adriana Cabrera Zurita will graduate this month from NCSU Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Technology and Management. Adriana worked as a laboratory assistant with the Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology, and as a research assistant in the Richmond-Bryant lab. After graduation, Adriana will work as an Environmental Monitoring Analyst with Pfizer and plans on pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering.

Marilu Salazar will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in horticultural science. On campus Marilu was involved with the NC State Horticulture Club, a member of the Pi Alpha Xi chapter of the horticulture honors society, and conducted research through the Thiessen lab in the department of entomology and plant pathology. Upon graduation, Marilu has plans to take some time away from school in a professional capacity before pursuing a master’s degree in plant pathology.

The Goodnight Scholars Program was established in 2008, through a gift from North Carolina natives and NC State alumni Dr. Jim and Ann Goodnight.  Dr. Jim Goodnight is the founder and CEO of the SAS Institute, the world’s leading business intelligence software vendor. Ann Goodnight is director of community relations at SAS Institute. The program is for North Carolina residents studying in the STEM disciplines or affiliated education majors. The value of the scholarship is $21,000 and is renewable for up to four years ($84,000) for first-year students, and three years ($63,000) for transfer students.  In addition to the scholarship, Goodnight Scholars have access to a comprehensive student development program that includes weekly programming, exclusive travel opportunities and enrichment grant funding.

Due to the pandemic and the current restrictions, finalists interviews were held virtually over two weekends. Fifty students were chosen for the class of 2025, and 25 were chosen for the transfer class of 2024. The 75 recipients represent 34 North Carolina counties. The program admitted its largest transfer class to date and plans to increase this offering to 50 students by the 2023 recruitment cycle.

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