Three Durham Tech students named finalists for NC State Goodnight Scholars program

Haley Attix, Haleema Begum, and Amber Golden-Parker were notified earlier this month that they were among the 48 finalists for North Carolina State University’s prestigious Goodnight Scholars program – Transfer Class of 2024.

Acceptance into the program includes a scholarship of $20,500 per academic year, renewable for up to three years. It is available to low and middle-income families from North Carolina and is limited to students studying in the STEM disciplines or affiliated education majors.

The 48 finalists were selected from a pool of candidates from across North Carolina, including 22 community colleges, 22 counties, and 5 NC State academic colleges. Each finalist demonstrated exceptional community college accomplishments, including academic performance, extracurricular involvement, community engagement, and inspiring goals in the STEM and education fields.

From the finalist interviews, 25 students will be invited to join the Goodnight Scholars Program’s Transfer Class of 2024. The announcement is expected in May.

Meet the Finalists

Haley Attix, 25

Originally from Chapel Hill, Attix is pursuing an Associate in Science degree at Durham Tech. She was in the workforce for six years after graduating high school and when she decided to go back to school, she wasn’t sure what career path to pursue.

“Durham Tech offered an environment where I could explore lots of different things before choosing a major,” she said.

Attix wants to attend NC State University because of their Zoology program. Her ultimate career goal is to work with wildlife, whether in the field rehabilitating injured and orphaned possums, in the lab researching a nonlethal way to keep critters out of the house, or at a museum teaching kids about the benefits of spiders.

Attix said she was relieved and surprised when she was notified that she was a finalist for the Goodnight Scholars program.

“I'm proud of myself to even get this far, but I am very excited about the prospect of being part of an instant community at a giant school like NC State, and not having to worry about student loans when I finish my degree.”

Haleema Begum, 26

Originally from Pakistan, Begum arrived in Durham in 2018 as a refugee and was immediately introduced to Durham Tech.

“It is a great school and has provided me the opportunity to continue my educational journey,” she said.

Begum is pursuing an Associate in Engineering degree at Durham Tech and wants to transfer to NC State to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. She said she was surprised to become a finalist for the Goodnight Scholar program.

“I felt excited when I got the interview invitation,” she said. “I did not imagine that I would move to the final round because it was a tough competition due to many applicants applying for the scholarship.”

Amber Golden-Parker, 33

Originally from Massachusetts, Golden-Parker is enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Durham Tech with aspirations to become a physician assistant or occupational therapist.

“When beginning my path at Durham Tech, I was shy and timid, and enjoyed the closeness of campus,” she said. “Since then, I have grown into this space in which I want to explore and engage in as many things as possible.”

Golden-Parker said she felt a rush of emotions when she found out she was a finalist for the Goodnight Scholars program.

"Initially, I was in complete disbelief, but then I began to feel incredibly humbled,” she said. “A stranger on the other wise of my application saw value in me, which validated my accomplishments over the past few years. I felt like I was on cloud nine.” 

About the Goodnight Scholars Program

The Goodnight Scholars Program provides talented STEM students transferring to NC State with a full scholarship for up to three years. Funded by SAS CEO and Founder Dr. Jim Goodnight and his wife Ann, the Goodnight Scholars Program seeks to encourage low- and middle-income students to become STEM leaders in North Carolina and beyond.

Learn more about the Goodnight Scholars Program.
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Contact Marcy Gardner, Content and Social Media Coordinator, at gardnerm@durhamtech.edu