Duke Awards Trinity Scholarships to Four Students From North Carolina

Duke University has awarded Trinity Scholarships -- merit scholarships that cover full tuition and many other expenses -- to four high school seniors from North Carolina.

The scholarships, established by Duke alumni to honor the university's origins as Trinity College, provide funds for tuition, fees, room and board, as well as summer study, work and travel experiences for all four years at Duke. The full value of each scholarship is more than $200,000 over four years.

Two students have been awarded the Susan F. Beischer, George D. Beischer, and Frances Hill Fox Trinity Scholarship. Students from anywhere in North Carolina are eligible for these scholarships. These students are:

-- Noelle Kelly, of Eastern Wayne High School in Goldsboro, the daughter of Cynthia and Milas Kelly.

-- Maria Suarez, of West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, the daughter of Dr. Yeny Gama and Rafael Suarez.

In addition, two other Trinity Scholarships designated for students from Guilford County/Greensboro were awarded:

-- Ross Taggart, of Grimsley High School in Greensboro, the son of Elizabeth and Christopher Taggart, was awarded the Robert and Melanie Ketner Trinity Scholarship.

-- Nancy Yang of Greensboro, who attends the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, was awarded the Cassell/Saperstein Trinity Scholarship. She is the daughter of Liwen Han and Guochen Yang.

"Duke University needs the best and brightest high school students from North Carolina to reach our full potential as an institution. These four students have shown themselves to be superb both in and out of the classroom," said Donald Taylor, assistant professor of public policy and director of the Trinity Scholarship program. "Their parents, high schools and entire communities should be very proud of them. We believe they will thrive at Duke, and help make our community a better one."