2024 NCHE Scholarship Winners

Since 1998, NCHE has awarded more than $189,000 in scholarships to deserving North Carolina homeschooled high school seniors. The funds for the scholarships come from donors and supporters of homeschooling in North Carolina. This year, the scholarship judges—anonymous homeschool parents who do not have a student competing in the program—have selected five recipients.

The winner of the Academic Scholarship is Aria Carter of Durham, daughter of Alexa and Daniel Carter. Aria scored thirty-five out of a possible thirty-six perfect score on the ACT and is a National Merit Finalist. She is a skilled violinist and a gifted visual artist. Her community involvement includes such things as serving as a historical interpreter at the Duke Homestead, helping pack 30,000 diapers for the Diaper Bank of North Carolina, and co-leading a team to ship $10,000 worth of war relief supplies to Ukraine. Aria plans to attend Furman University to major in violin performance and French, and she hopes to lead both her own children and other children someday to love math, music, and French as much as she does.

The Ernie Hodges Scholar Athlete Award goes to Mary “Macarthy” Monteith, daughter of Kelvin and Mary Katheryn Monteith of Gastonia. Macarthy is a lifelong, year-round swimmer who is currently with the Mecklenburg Swim Association. She is an annual participant in the NCHEAC swim and cross-country competitions. Macarthy is an accomplished student-athlete, having already accrued three semesters worth of college credits and graduating with a 4.65 GPA. Her loves include her church, piano, and investing in the young lives of others. She uses her experience in the pool to teach beginning swimmers and is a camp counselor to young girls. Macarthy will be attending Gardner Webb University, where she will major in biomed-pre-optometry. In addition to becoming an eye doctor, she hopes to be a homeschool mom one day.

Julia Banta, daughter of Michelle and Jon Banta of Charlotte, is the recipient of the NCHE Arts Scholarship. Julia enjoys many types of dance, but her favorite is tap for which she has received numerous awards. She has taught dance to beginners and used that experience engagingly in the introduction to the required scholarship essay by saying: “I stand in the shadowed area beside the stage…as eight little girls take their places among the lights. … Curls bounce like so many excited springs, feet clad in tap shoes move to the beat, and eight-year-old smiles lacking teeth shine out into the darkened auditorium….These are my tap students, and I share in their victories.” Julia will be studying dance at Anderson University in South Carolina and seeks to inspire the next generation of young dancers.

Gianna Pasquale, daughter of Sam and Theresa Pasquale of Apex, graduates after being homeschooled for twelve years. Gianna has volunteered for the Brown Bag ministry, has served and led in summer camps, and directed a fundraiser that collected more than $4000 for mothers in need in Raleigh. Additionally, she led multiple service projects as the service chair for her chapter of the National Homeschool Honor Society. She plans to attend Meredith College in Raleigh to major in communications. Following graduation, she is “eager to put the skills [she] will develop throughout college into action by shining a spotlight on critical community needs, such as increased maternity support and food security.” Gianna is the recipient of the NCHE Community Service Scholarship.

Luke McKay, son of Janet and Trevor McKay of Youngsville, is the recipient of the Apologia Missions and Ministry Scholarship; Luke is a gifted and well-rounded leader in academics, sports, music, and community service. In 2023, in the eleventh grade, he was the winner of the after-dinner speaker competition of the National Christian Forensics and Communication Association. Parents might want to check out the Youtube video of NCFCA’s 2023 “Showcase of Excellence” for Luke’s funny—and very relatable—advice called “Keeping Your Sons Alive!” 2023 National Championship—Showcase of Excellence. Luke will attend Patrick Henry College to study government or business before going on to achieve his master’s in divinity. He aspires to a career in ministry and apologetics.

North Carolinians for Home Education is honored to award these highly deserving students with scholarships to continue their pursuit of excellence. Congratulations to them and to all the class of 2024. To donate toward future scholarships, please go to https://www.nche.com/scholarship-donations/.