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| Sanjna Iyengar |
The
Morehead–Cain Scholarship is a fully funded four-year undergraduate program at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It has built an enormous
reputation for its selectivity, as well as for being the first merit-based
scholarship program in the U.S. The Morehead-Cain is awarded based on four
basic criteria: scholarship, leadership, character, and physical vigor.
Students who meet these criteria are nominated for the scholarship by their
high school; however, students may also apply to the scholarship directly. In
addition to full tuition, the scholarship provides free housing, meals, student
fees, books, laptops, supplies, and travel funds to its winners. It also
includes a four-year summer enrichment program designed to challenge scholars
with extracurricular activities.
Apex
High nominated Trevor Hair, Sanjna Iyengar, Sarah Marriott, Tayna Qureshi, and
James Stevens. Iyengar advanced to the semi-final round. She will be
interviewed in January to determine if she will advance to the next round. If
she is among the 126 candidates chosen to advance, she will be invited on
campus for tours and a final round of interviews.
Iyengar
says she applied for the scholarship for the many privileges it provides, including
a full ride through any program offered at UNC Chapel Hill. Her planned college
major is pre-med or biomedical engineering. “Carolina has a great pre-med
program.” Other than Carolina, she has applied to N.C. State, Wake Forest,
Duke, and MIT “MIT is a reach, but it will be my first choice if I am
accepted,” she said.
Iyengar
is confident that she is well qualified to receive the Morehead-Cain
scholarship. She has demonstrated exceptional scholarship, earning her place at
the head of Apex High’s senior class. She holds many offices in Apex clubs and
societies, covering the leadership criterion. “I have a very active role in all
my clubs and activities,” she explained. She demonstrates moral force of
character through a can-do attitude and heavy involvement in volunteering
endeavors. She also is a member of the Apex tennis team, which she says keeps
her in the right shape to be eligible for the scholarship.
“I am very excited to make the semi–finals. I have an
interview in January, so I look forward to that.”
