Alumni
Twenty years after the first cohort of Golden LEAF Scholars received their awards, our community now includes several thousand alumni. These individuals are leaders all over the state of North Carolina, living out the values of the Golden LEAF Scholarship as teachers, bankers, doctors, lawyers, consultants, scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and more. They remain a vibrant and committed group of individuals who significantly contribute to North Carolina’s rural communities.
Nick Stanley is a Pasquotank County native, East Carolina University grad, and current Director of Bands for Pasquotank County Schools.
From a young age, Nick knew that he wanted to teach music, a passion that grew with the help of his middle school band director and other mentors.
He studied music education at East Carolina University and played for the ECU Marching Pirates for two years. His band received the opportunity to play at an NFL football game and the United States Naval Academy, as well as in front of 50,000 people at Dowdy-Ficklen stadium at ECU.
Nick works with three band programs: the marching band, jazz band, and symphonic band. He also teaches a guitar course, a ukulele course, and works with the high school academically and in extracurricular support roles.
Nick not only lives and works in Pasquotank County, he gives back to the community as a volunteer firefighter with the Pasquotank-Providence Volunteer Fire Department.
Check out Nick’s story.
ScholarsConnect
ScholarsConnect is our exclusive Golden LEAF Scholarship Portal. This platform is a space to:
- Connect current and alumni Golden LEAF Scholars through networking and mentorship,
- Share events of interests, jobs, opportunities, and resources, and
- Drive engagement, participation, and idea sharing to advance our mission of increasing opportunities in rural North Carolina.