Overton, Outland awarded Kemet Perseverance scholarships

A former Perquimans County High School graduate who is himself studying for a university degree is providing scholarship funding so other PCHS grads can follow their own college dreams.

The $500 Kemet Perseverance Scholarship sponsored by Thomas A. Riddick Jr. was made available to PCHS grads for the first time this year.

Riddick graduated from Perquimans County High School in 2023 and is currently enrolled at North Carolina A&T University pursing an engineering degree. A coach and supporter to numbers of youth in Perquimans during his high school years, Riddick “continues to seek ways to make a difference in the lives of others,” the Perquimans County Schools Foundation said in a press release.

The first two $500 Kemet scholarships were awarded to Jarmon Overton and Talycia Grace Outland, both PCHS seniors who graduated in May.

Overton plans to attend Elizabeth City State University or Old Dominion University to study psychology. His goal is to pursue a career in mental health counseling.

Overton was a star athlete on the PCHS football team, a member of the PCHS track team and member of the FFA Club.

Outland plans to attend ECSU and also study psychology. It’s her dream, according to the release, “to positively impact the lives of others,” and believes she can do that “by studying human development and mental health preventions” and working as a clinical mental health counselor.

Outland earned several certifications while in high school, including in NC Prevent Child Abuse, Red Cross Water Safety and American Red Cross CPR.