Iredell County Crosby Scholars honors 2024 graduates, awards scholarships

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman
Pictured are Iredell-Statesville School Superintendent Jeff James (far left); Crosby Scholars Board Member Beth Kendall (far right); and award winners Cooper Hall, Piper Lewis, and Peyton Millsaps.

Special to Iredell Free News

Iredell County Crosby Scholars hosted its annual Senior Celebration on April 23, honoring 2024 graduates and awarding scholarships.

Around 90 high school seniors, their family members and community leaders made up the crowd of approximately 300 attendees at the Statesville Civic Center. In addition to scholarship awards, students were presented with graduation cords and heard guest speaker Mariah Roseboro speak to the event’s theme: Bold Beginnings.

Thirty-one students were awarded scholarships totaling $26,000, with funds provided by Goodwill of Northwest North Carolina, Iredell County Crosby Scholars, the Mooresville Rescue Squad and Mitchell County Community College. 

Guest speaker Mariah Roseboro is a Crosby Scholars alumni and Statesville High School graduate. After completing her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology at UNC Charlotte – which included time studying abroad in South Korea – Mariah joined the Iredell Crosby Scholars staff to serve as Near Peer Senior Advisor.

“I am so thankful to be able to give back to the program that opened my eyes to the many avenues I could take within my college and career journey,” she said.

Roseboro urged students to remember where they came from and to boldly give back to those communities.

“Learn how to fight for yourself so that you can begin to fight for others,” she said. “Learn what it means to love and to vouch for yourself so that you may vouch for your community.”

More than 230 seniors from Iredell County’s 12 high schools will complete the Iredell Crosby Scholars program this year and will be eligible to wear the red, black and white Crosby Scholars graduation cord. Nearly one-third of those students received Executive Director Awards, meaning they have been members of Crosby Scholars, completing all program requirements, without interruption, since the sixth grade.

LAST DOLLAR GRANTS

Applications for need-based Last Dollar Grants are now open for current seniors and college-enrolled Crosby Scholars alumni. These $1,000 grants help bridge any remaining gap between student costs and financial aid. With greater need expected this year, Crosby Scholars’ leadership renewed calls for support from local individuals and businesses for this year’s eligible students. Donations can be made online at www.crosbyscholarsiredell.org/how-to-invest/donate/.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND WINNERS

Iredell Crosby Scholars sincerely thanks Mitchell Community College; Goodwill of Northwest Industries of North Carolina; and the Mooresville Rescue Squad for generously supporting local students. Additional support was provided as a memorial gift in honor of Joyce Kohfeldt, a long-time supporter who passed away in 2023.

Goodwill Willpower Award
● Caleb Costilow

Goodwill Art Gibel Award
● Ella Tenke

Art Gibel Community Builder Award
● Mikaylah Okyer-Boateng

Crosby Impact Scholarship
● Kora Brightbill
● Hannah Kraeger

Joyce Kohfeldt Memorial Scholarship
● Hollis Heckler
● Adam Moukahl

Community College Book Scholarship
● Adam Goins
● Mikhail Likhtenbaum

Mooresville Rescue Squad Scholarship
● Ella McGlothlin
● Jocelyn Mills
● Emma Monroe
● Nicole Pfefferkorn
● Abby Pike

Iredell County Opportunity Scholarship
● Cooper Hall
● Piper Lewis
● Peyton Millsaps

Mitchell Community College/Crosby Scholars Scholarship
● Ian Raffan

Crosby Scholar Board of Directors Awards
● Tate Adams – ASEC
● Karma Hairston – CCTL
● Ruth Ramirez Hernandez – Crossroads
● Simone Bush – Lake Norman High School
● Ana Noriega – Langtree Charter Academy
● Emma Devore- Mooresville High School
● Grayson Brooks – North Iredell High School
● Cooper Deschenes – Pine Lake Preparatory
● Abeer Saleem Naznin – South Iredell High School
● C’Ashjah Joyner – Statesville High School
● Ameia Blair-Morrison – Statesville High School
● Allison Hendrix – West Iredell High School
● Katelyn Freese – iAcademy

PHOTOS

Guest Speaker Mariah Roseboro, Iredell Crosby Scholars Near Peer Senior Advisor, speaks to the assembled students.
Brett Sawyer prepares to award scholarships from the Mooresville Rescue Squad.
Pictured (from left) are Christine Robbins, Mitchell Community College; Scholarship Award Winner Ian Raffan; and Vermel Moore, Mitchell Community College. Raffan received the Mitchell Community College Scholarship, covering the costs of all tuition, fees and books.
Winners of the Crosby Scholars Board of Directors Award were Tate Adams, Karma Hairston, Ruth Ramirez Hernandez, Simone Bush, Ana Noriega, Emma Devore, Grayson Brooks, Cooper Deschenes, Abeer Saleem Naznin, C’Ashjah Joyner, Ameia Blair-Morrison, Allison Hendrix and Katelyn Freese. Awards were presented by Barbara Thorson and Suzanne Wegmiller.