Farmville student named Brinkley-Lane Scholar

A Farmville Central High School senior is among 20 selected students selected as Brinkley-Lane Scholars at East Carolina University.

Haleigh Long will join three others from Pitt County and 16 from other North Carolin communities who received ECU’s most prestigious undergraduate award.

The four-year merit scholarship provides both in-state and out-of-state recipients with a fully funded education, covering the cost of tuition, fees, room and board, as well as a stipend for a study-abroad experience.

Long, the daughter of Alexis and Charles Long of Farmville, served as Distinguished Young Woman of Pitt County and was third finalist in the state program. In high school, she was on the track, tennis and varsity softball teams.

Chris Kalapurackal and Saline Kulas of J.H. Rose High School and Ruckira Nixon of PCS Early College High School also earned the scholarships.

Kalapurackal, Kulas and Long all plan to major in engineering. Nixon plans to major in nutrition and dietetics with a goal of attending the Brody School of Medicine.

Both Kalapurackal and Kulas are members of the Pitt Pirates Robotics Team and has served as volunteers at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at Greenville. Kulas, the daughter Julie and Tony Kulas of Greenville, helped to launch GRITS (Girls Really into STEM). Kalapurackal is the son of Saji Kalapurackal and Lyja Kuriakose of Winterville.

Nixon, the daughter of Candace Hall of Greenville, graduated summa cum laude from PCS Early College High School on May 23. She was a North Carolina Scholar and a member of the National Honor Society and earned her associate’s degree while in high school.

Previously known as EC Scholars, the Brinkley-Lane Scholarship recognizes academic performance, commitment to community engagement and leadership skills. Fifty-four finalists were selected from nearly 1,000 applications and were invited to visit ECU’s campus in February for Selection Sunday to interview for the 20 spots.

Other winners were from Wilson, Guilford, Cumberland, Wake, Lincoln, Orange, Catawba, Buncombe, Johnston, Transylvania and Moore counties.

Brinkley-Lane Scholars awards $1.5 million in scholarships each year. More than 400 ECU alumni are former Brinkley-Lane Scholars.