Five CAES Students Awarded University’s Highest Scholarships

Five first-year students, representing diverse fields in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, have received two of N.C. A&T’s highest honors: the Dowdy Scholarship and the Cheatham-White Scholarship.

The 2024 Lewis and Elizabeth Dowdy Scholarship, honoring academically gifted first-year students in the Class of 2028, includes four CAES scholars:

Derrick Bradley of Dallas, Texas, majoring in landscape architecture; Niara Downing of Laurel, Maryland, majoring in business administration with a minor in fashion merchandising; Kaitlynn Joseph of Windsor Mill, Maryland, majoring in agricultural sciences; and Najm Muhammad of Atlanta, majoring in animal science.

The Lewis and Elizabeth Dowdy Scholars Enrichment Program is named in honor of the late Dr. Lewis C. Dowdy, N.C. A&T’s sixth president and first chancellor, and his wife, Elizabeth. Each cohort of Dowdy Scholars receives a four-year renewable award that covers tuition and related fees, housing and meals for up to four years.

In addition, animal science major Zoe Locust of Concord, North Carolina, was named one of 20 incoming N.C. A&T freshmen to receive the 2024 Cheatham-White Scholarship, a fully funded four-year award that covers the costs of tuition, student fees, housing, meals, textbooks, a laptop computer, supplies, travel, and personal expenses.

The Cheatham-White Scholarship, established in 2018, is named for Henry P. Cheatham and George H. White, two African Americans who represented North Carolina in the United States Congress around the turn of the 20th century. From difficult beginnings – Cheatham was born enslaved, and White, the son of a mother whom historians say was also likely enslaved – each worked hard to earn a university education before launching careers in teaching, law and ultimately public service.

“The five Dowdy and Cheatham-White Scholars represent individuals destined to have a major impact within a variety of disciplines,” said Antoine Alston, Ph.D., CAES associate dean of academics. “During their time at A&T, they have made large strides in the College of Agriculture, and I truly believe they will continue to do so further into their academic careers.”

“These students will transform the world, shift prevailing notions and advance the human condition,” said Tonya L. Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “It is truly an accomplishment that we can provide these high-achieving scholars with full support.”