The Eve Carson Scholarship: Recognizing Transformative Leadership at UNC-Chapel Hill
The Eve Carson Scholarship, a living legacy of former Student Body President Eve Carson, stands as a testament to her vision of a student-run merit scholarship awarded to students, by students. This scholarship recognizes rising seniors at UNC-Chapel Hill who demonstrate transformative passion, service, leadership, and growth during their time at Carolina. The scholarship aims to recognize students who have grown significantly in their time at UNC, providing support for Scholars’ expenses during senior year, as well as funding for a transformative summer experience.
A Scholarship Born from Vision
Now in its 15th year, the Eve Carson Scholarship is the result of Carson’s plan to create a scholarship supporting campus leaders. Eve Carson's impact as a leader and believer in student power is confirmed through this scholarship. Emily Smither, a Morehead-Cain Scholar like Carson, serves as executive director of the student-run Eve Carson Scholarship. She notes that Carson's values-service, character, leadership, and transformative growth-have guided her experience at Carolina.
Smither emphasizes the importance of students celebrating students as paramount to the scholarship's mission, highlighting them and making students aware of the scholarship to really re-instill the values that Eve embodied.
Award Details
The Eve Carson Scholarship provides significant financial support to its recipients. Scholars receive up to $5,000 for a summer experience and $15,000 toward senior-year tuition. The award funds a summer experience (up to $5,000) and provides $15,000 towards tuition for the scholar’s senior year.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Eve Carson Scholarship, applicants must meet specific criteria:
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- Academic Standing: Applicants must be juniors at UNC-Chapel Hill with at least a 3.0 GPA and 48 hours of credit. Carolina juniors with a minimum of 48 credit-hours are eligible to apply, and the scholarship will apply to their senior year.
- Full, Merit-Based Scholarships: Applicants cannot currently be receiving a full, merit-based scholarship. Recipients of the Morehead-Cain (either fully funded or not) Robertson, Williamson, Fred Morrison, Columbus Morrison, Peachtree, Gant, Welsh, Innovation, Honors Carolina, and Pearl Cavin (and similar) Scholarships are not eligible. Also included in this list are the out-of-state versions of the Johnston, Pogue and various Carolina Scholarships. Students receiving partial merit scholarships or need-based aid are still eligible to apply.
- Transfer Students: Transfer students must have completed 48 credit-hours, including their current semester’s credit-hours, at UNC-Chapel Hill.
- Senior Year Enrollment: Students must spend two full semesters at UNC during their senior year and graduate in May of the next year to be eligible for the scholarship. Students planning to study abroad during their senior year can still apply, however, the scholarship committee strongly prefers students do not study abroad.
NCSSM graduates ARE eligible to apply.
Application Process
The Eve Carson Scholarship application process is comprehensive, designed to identify students who embody the scholarship's core values. The application typically becomes available in late November, with a deadline in late December. For the Class of 2025, the application became available on November 27, 2023, and was due by 11:59 PM on December 22, 2023.
The application consists of several key components:
- Basic Information: Applicants provide their basic personal and academic information.
- Essay Questions: The heart of the application lies in the essay questions, which allow applicants to articulate their passions, experiences, and vision for the future. The application asks for your basic information, and it consists of five essay questions that must be answered.
- Unofficial Transcript: Applicants must upload a copy of their unofficial transcript.
Examples of essay questions include:
- Briefly explain your future professional goals.
- Discuss one of your passions and how you have developed this passion during your time at Carolina.
- How do you see yourself developing your passion further if you are selected as an Eve Marie Carson Scholar?
- Service, character, and leadership are some of the traits embodied by an Eve Marie Carson Scholar.
Finalists for the award will be asked to disclose information regarding any need or merit-based aid they are currently receiving.
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Selection Criteria
The Eve Carson Scholarship Selection Committee seeks applicants who have demonstrated significant growth and impact during their time at Carolina. Key selection criteria include:
- Academic Matriculation: Demonstrated academic progress and achievement.
- Personal Development: Evidence of personal growth, resilience, and self-awareness.
- Leadership and/or Service: Active involvement in leadership roles and service initiatives that benefit the Carolina community and beyond.
- Passion and Commitment: A clearly articulated passion that the applicant is committed to and enthusiastic about.
GPA is not considered by the Selection Committee. The applicant should have a passion that they are committed to and enthusiastic about. We are looking for the applicant who has demonstrated academic matriculation, personal development and leadership and/or service since coming to Carolina.
Summer Experience
Eve Carson Scholars are expected to use the summer experience funding to pursue a transformative opportunity that aligns with their passions and goals. While applicants do not need to have their summer experience fully planned at the time of application, finalists will be expected to discuss a general idea of their potential summer plans. The scholarship committee expects to help chosen scholars develop their summer experience plans.
Continuing Eve Carson's Legacy
The Eve Carson Scholarship not only provides financial support but also serves as a reminder of Eve Carson's values and vision for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As Student Body President Chris Everett notes, he tries to "embody Eve as much as I possibly can." Everett points to Carson's commitment to her fellow students and her promotion of policies dealing with treatment space and identity for queer students as examples of her dedication to creating a welcoming and inclusive campus.
Over time, fewer people at Carolina have direct connections to Carson. But Smither hopes the continued focus on what she stood for can ensure Carolina remains the place Carson would want it to be. Smither said, "She left a footprint, and those footprints, they create a blueprint."
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Karagöz said, "The one thing that stands out to me the most is Eve’s passion for service. It comes across to me very clearly that she was very passionate about helping to improve her community."
On the back wall of Everett’s office reads one of Carson’s most iconic quotes: “What makes UNC truly special is not our beautiful campus, our distinguished reputation or even our basketball team. It’s us who make UNC what it is.”
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