Two Buncombe County Schools’ students were recently awarded the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship to UNC Chapel Hill. Sarah Gilmour, a 2014 graduate of Owen High, and Travis Broadhurst, a 2014 graduate of North Buncombe High School, learned of the honor this spring.
The Morehead-Cain provides full funding for four years at UNC Chapel Hill, including tuition, fees and all living expenses, plus four summers of educational experiences for all recipients.
Gilmour plans to study political science or Peace, War, and Defense, which is a combination of political science, philosophy and history. Broadhurst will study physics with the intent of pursuing graduate studies in astronomy, meteorology or geophysics.
Competition is high for the scholarship.
“At first, I couldn’t believe I had won,” Gilmour said. “I thought I had opened up the wrong letter and was rereading the letter announcing I was a finalist. But then my disbelief turned into pure joy and relief. I had spent so much time on my application and had worked so hard in high school, but now it was all worth it.”
Broadhurst said, “I was with my mother looking at my laptop and as soon as I read that I had received this great honor, I jumped up and ran around the house yelling at the top of my lungs. I was so elated and thankful for this amazing opportunity.”
Both students credited parents and teachers for the role they played in receiving the scholarship.
“I can’t thank my parents and teachers enough for all their encouragement and help over the years,” Gilmour said. “I could not have done this alone.”
UNC Chapel Hill says the Morehead-Cain is the first merit scholarship program established in the United States. It was begun in 1945 and inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University.
