Two SCC Students Receive Scholarships to NC State

Two Surry Community College students are receiving Goodnight Scholarships from North Carolina State University. These students are Brandan Shur of Mount Airy and Erica Castillo-Duran of Hamptonville. Both will be transferring to NCSU in August.

Brandan Shur graduated in May from Surry Community College where he was on the President’s List and served as the vice president of the Horticulture Club. Shur completed internships with Surry Cellars Vineyard as a student viticulturist and at the SCC’s greenhouse as a student horticulturist. He also served on the Board of Directors for Miss Angel’s Charitable Trust. He plans to major in Horticultural Science.

Erica Castillo-Duran will graduate from Yadkin Early College High School, which is a dual enrollment partnership between Yadkin County Schools and Surry Community College and located at The Yadkin Center. She served as a Yadkin Early College board representative and student recruiter. Castillo-Duran worked on a poultry farm and as a mentor for the Kaleideum Museum. She also participated in UNC Greensboro’s CHANCE program, which aims at helping the Hispanic community navigate the challenges of applying to college. She plans to major in Life Sciences.

Of the 70 Goodnight recipients, 50 were chosen for the class of 2024 out of 850 high school candidates from across North Carolina and 20 were chosen for the transfer class of 2023 out of 297 community college candidates. Recipients participated in a thorough selection process over the spring semester, which included an application and interview with NC State faculty, staff, alumni, and industry representatives from SAS Institute and the Kenan Fellows Program.

The Goodnight Scholarship is valued at $20,500 per year for up to four years ($82,000) for traditional students and three years ($61,500) for transfer students. Both cohorts receive access to a comprehensive student development program that includes weekly programming, exclusive travel opportunities, and enrichment grant funding.

“After a challenging spring semester, we are delighted to recognize the incoming class of 2024 and transfer class of 2023,” said Allison Medlin, Director of the Goodnight Scholars Program. “The 70 students in these cohorts have demonstrated outstanding academic performance, an affinity for STEM, and a commitment to service and leadership. We could not be more thrilled for them to join our community this fall.”

The Goodnight Scholars Program was established in 2008 by NC State alumni Dr. Jim Goodnight '65 and Mrs. Ann Goodnight '68 with the goal of providing financial assistance to North Carolina students from low- and middle-income families who wish to pursue STEM or STEM education at NC State. In 2017, the scholarship expanded to include transfer students from North Carolina community colleges who planned to enroll at NC State in the fall after receiving an associate degree. Now, the Goodnight Scholars Program is the largest full-tuition scholarship program at NC State with 255 undergraduate students enrolled per year.

Registration for the Fall 2020 semester at Surry Community College is currently taking place. For questions about college application, financial aid or class registration, contact Student Services at (336) 386-3264 or studentservices@surry.edu.