NCRLA

North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association

Press Release ·

NC hospitality industry awards $40,000 in scholarships and grants

NC Hospitality Education Foundation supports students pursuing hospitality degrees  

The philanthropic arm of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA), the North Carolina Hospitality Education Foundation (NCHEF), has announced its scholarship and grant recipients for 2020. Thirteen students and one educator in the state have been selected to receive $40,000 in scholarships and grant funding.

Scholarships are distributed to students pursuing post-secondary studies in culinary arts, restaurant management or similar fields, or to students whose parents are current hospitality industry employees. Grant funding supports educators in those fields.

“One of the goals of our foundation is to attract, educate, and retain a professional workforce for the hospitality industry,” said NCRLA and NCHEF President and CEO Lynn Minges. “Because of our industry’s generous donations, these deserving students receive financial support to prepare them for careers in the industry.”

The 2020 scholarship recipients are:

  • Jacob Norconk (Weaverville) is the recipient of the Pepsi Service that Sells Scholarship. He plans to attend Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College.
  • Kaitlin Sulek (Greenville) is the recipient of the Davidson and Jones Scholarship. She attends East Carolina University.
  • Bridget Bowers (Hamptonville) is the recipient of the Johnson and Wales University Chancellor Award. She plans to attend JWU-Charlotte.
  • Nathaniel Pennington (Wilson) is the recipient of the Jimmy Alfano Scholarship. He attends JWU-Charlotte.
  • Kelly Graham (Eastover) is the recipient of the Jimmy Alfano Scholarship. She plans to attend Fayetteville Technical Community College.
  • Hannah Phillips (Matthews) is the recipient of the Jimmy Alfano Scholarship. She attends North Carolina State University.
  • Dina Clemente (Mooresville) is the recipient of the Ted Fowler Pursuit of Restaurant Excellence Scholarship. She plans to attend Appalachian State University.
  • Lexi Summerlin (Granite Falls) is the recipient of the Vickie Clark Flaherty Scholarship. She plans to attend Appalachian State University.
  • Karly Plemmons (Weaverville) is the recipient of the Golden Corral Scholarship. She attends UNC-Wilmington.
  • J’Niya Rodriguez (Raleigh) is the recipient of the William F. Carl Scholarship. She attends JWU-Charlotte.
  • Nicholas Merrix (Charlotte) is the recipient of the William F. Carl Scholarship. He attends JWU-Charlotte.
  • Rebekah Gregg (Angier) is the recipient of the William F. Carl Scholarship. She attends North Carolina State University.
  • Tiara Edwards (Kannapolis) is the recipient of the William F. Carl Scholarship. She plans to attend Central Piedmont Community College.

ProStart teacher Ashley Whitesides of Cary High School was awarded the Ted Fowler Educator Grant to pursue program development.

Scholarship and grant recipients were honored in an online ceremony on Wednesday, June 24. For more information on scholarships or grants distributed by NCHEF, click here.

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About North Carolina Hospitality Education Foundation:
The North Carolina Hospitality Education Foundation (NC HEF) is the philanthropic foundation of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association, helping to enhance the hospitality industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. NC HEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the hospitality industry. For more information, please visit www.ncrla.org/nchef.

NC HEF awards scholarships in partnership with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. For more information, please visit www.nraef.org.