Student Success
19 Wake Tech Grads Selected as NC State Goodnight Transfer Scholars
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 24, 2024) – Nineteen Wake Tech graduates are poised to do the extraordinary at North Carolina State University as Goodnight Transfer Scholars.
The prestigious Goodnight Scholarship is valued at $23,000 per year for up to three years ($69,000) for 50 transfer students from North Carolina community colleges. This is the largest class of Wake Tech graduates to join the scholars program.
Recipients of the scholarship participated in a thorough selection process over the Spring semester, which included an application and an interview with a volunteer committee consisting of current and former N.C. State faculty, staff and alumni, as well as industry representatives from SAS Institute and the Kenan Fellows Program.
Wake Tech's Goodnight Transfer Scholars are:
- Syed Abbas, plans to study nutrition sciences
- Grace Abraham, plans to major in computer science
- Alaric Ani, plans to major in computer engineering
- Nora Cam, plans to major in computer science
- Celeste Cerrato Canales, plans to study biological sciences
- Lizbeth Torres-Cervantes, plans to study agricultural education
- Abigail Close, plans to study computer science
- Kyle Curry, plans to study statistics
- Alia Fayed, plans to major in materials science and engineering
- Marcos Garcia, plans to study genetics
- Damien Johnson II, plans to major in aerospace engineering
- Demaris Keleta, plans to major in computer science
- Pinmin Lin, plans to study computer science
- Je’Niya Nelson, plans to study biological sciences
- Mohammed Naseri, plans to study mechanical engineering
- Michael Pacheco-Luciano, plans to major in computer science
- Kaina Percifield, plans to major in horticulture science
- Savannah Prosser, plans to major in animal science
- Angelina Yang, plans to major in mechanical engineering
Johnson said he hope to eventually join the Air Force as a jet pilot and then become an astronaut.
"Receiving the Goodnight Scholarship was what I wanted to do when I knew I was enrolling into Wake Tech," he said. "Now that I have, I'll make sure I'm a part of the community to the fullest extent, generating change, innovation and inspiration for the future."
Prosser said she hopes to become a veterinarian.
"I am so grateful to have received this honor," she said. "I cannot wait to work with this program within my community and have the opportunity to gain new experiences that will aid me in my future endeavors. There are lots of opportunities to form connections with other scholars while giving back to our community and strengthening our skills."
The scholars receive access to a comprehensive student development program that includes weekly programming, exclusive travel opportunities and enrichment grant funding. Students also receive transfer specific programming and instruction to aid in the successful transition from community college to N.C. State.
The Wake Tech recipients demonstrated exceptional accomplishments during their community college careers, including stellar academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, community engagement and an affinity for science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and education.
The Goodnight Scholars Program was established in 2008 by N.C. State alumni Jim and Ann Goodnight to provide financial assistance to North Carolina students from low- and middle-income families who wish to pursue STEM education at N.C. State. In 2017, the scholarship expanded to include transfer students from North Carolina community colleges who planned to enroll at N.C. State in the fall after receiving an associate degree. Now, the Goodnight Scholars Program is the largest full-time scholarship program at N.C. State, with 255 undergraduate students enrolled per year.
Since the program started in 2017, 65 Wake Tech students have been named Goodnight Transfer Scholars.
