KENANSVILLE — Two students at James Sprunt Community College became the recipients of a $5,000 scholarship from the State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Foundation. The scholarships were presented to Candace Smith and Kinsley DeLeon on Thursday, Aug. 6.
These scholarships were established by the SECU Foundation in 2004 in order to help students in North Carolina achieve academic success, and their dreams, through the NC Community College System.
Candace Smith became a JSCC Spartan in 2017. She is seeking to become a nurse, and will graduate in 2021 with an associate of science degree. She is a member of the Trio Program at James Sprunt, and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa last year and serves as the Secretary for that organization.
“Being chosen for the SECU scholarship will allow me the opportunity to continue on my journey to help people while make it possible for me to complete my educational endeavors,” said Smith. “I understand the burden that being a student, a mother of two, and a wife, can put on a family and this scholarship will be a tremendous burden off of my family. I hope this will show my children and others that you should never give up on your dreams, regardless of how impossible it may seem.”
Kinsley DeLeon will be entering her second year at James Sprunt this fall, and is working to-wards an associate of science degree and hopes to transfer to NC State University to pursue Animal Science, and ultimately going after a doctorate degree in Veterinary Medicine.
“My passion for agriculture and large animals has grown since I moved to North Carolina and it has strongly influenced my decision in finding a career,” said DeLeon. “This scholarship has been a blessing to me especially because my career requires a lot of education. I genuinely felt God moving in my life upon receiving this scholarship. The fear of debt is terrifying and the fact that I have this scholarship to help pay for my education is such a blessing and has given me the opportunity to continue school and pursue the dream of becoming a vet.”
The “People Helping People” scholarships from the SECU Foundation are based on the recipi-ent’s leadership, character and integrity, community involvement, and scholastic achievement. Two scholarships are given to students at each of the 58 community college in North Carolina.
