Stronger Together: Gifts to the Park Scholarships Sustaining Endowment Are Bringing an Additional Park Scholar to the Class of 2026

Thanks to the generosity of 1,168 donors, the NC State University class of 2026 just grew by one Park Scholar. 

Each year, thousands of prospective students from around the world apply for about 40 spots in NC State’s Park Scholarships program. The program brings exceptional students to NC State and includes a scholarship valued at $116,000 for in-state students and $208,000 for out-of-state students. Thanks to donors to the Park Scholarships Sustaining Endowment, a 41st scholarship will be available for a member of the Class of 2026.

Gifts to the Park Scholarships program are an investment in remarkable students committed to scholarship, leadership, service, and character, who repay that investment many times over throughout their lifetime. Park Scholars are leaders on campus and beyond, exemplifying NC State’s mission to create economic, societal, and intellectual prosperity.

“So much of what this university does for others starts with the Park Scholars,” Chancellor Randy Woodson remarked at a Park Scholarships event last month. Bringing more Park Scholars to NC State is an established priority for the university and the program. “The one thing that I would say is most critical to us going forward is to increase the number of Park Scholars we have on campus,” Chancellor Woodson explained.

As students, Park Scholars participate in a robust series of enrichment programming including reflective retreats, a first-year seminar and four-year Leadership Academy designed to hone their leadership style and professional skills, learning labs that provide insight into how local and national leaders confront pressing challenges, and year-long service projects to support communities throughout North Carolina. Scholars assume challenging roles in campus community organizations and lead Service Raleigh and the Krispy Kreme Challenge, two of NC State’s best-known service initiatives. Park Scholars have access to an array of resources to help them succeed during and after college including grants, a thriving alumni network, and career planning tools. Park Scholars graduate ready to make a difference in communities around the world.

Dedicated members of the Park Scholarships community have heeded the chancellor’s call to bring more remarkable students to NC State. In 2013, the Park Alumni Society launched the Park Scholarships Sustaining Endowment to provide permanent support to the program. Through gifts made over the last nine years, the fund has grown sufficiently to bring an additional Park Scholar to campus this fall.

That outcome is the collective result of 3,566 gifts made by NC State alumni, students, staff, faculty, parents, family members, and friends. 465 Park Scholars, including members from every class from 2000 to 2024, have contributed to this fund. More than three-quarters of all gifts were $100 or less, but together, they will have a transformative impact. 

Adding a 41st Park Scholar to the Class of 2026 is not only life-changing for the selected student and the student’s family, but also produces a ripple effect for the Park Class of 2026, the network of nearly 1,200 Park Scholars around the world, and the Park and NC State communities as a whole.

Invest in exceptional students dedicated to scholarship, leadership, service, and character by making a gift to the Park Scholarships Sustaining Endowment. Your support plays a crucial role in helping Park Scholars make their mark on the world.