UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol L. Folt has named 19 scholarships for “Bridge Builders,” or individuals whose work, advocacy and personal example helped forge a more inclusive, unified and aspirational Carolina community.

Among those the scholarships are named after are UNC School of Law professor who fought to desegregate Chapel Hill and advance civil rights in North Carolina, Daniel Pollitt, the first woman to serve as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, Susie Marshall Sharp, and Larry D. Keith – past director of the Medical Education Development Program who paved the way for students of color to succeed on the health professions.

Folt announced the nomination process for the Bridge Builders scholarship back in October and said anyone the community could nominate someone they thought was deserving of the honor.

The nominees were then given to a panel of faculty and university leaders who picked the final 19.

“By honoring these courageous Bridge Builders with scholarships in their name, we find new ways to represent and celebrate our diverse history,” said Folt. “These individuals helped strengthen our community with their advocacy, and we believe these scholarships will serve as motivation for our students to discover and thrive as they carve their own paths at Carolina.”

Folt was inspired to launch the initiative when former Carolina student, Shelby Dawkins-Law suggested during the November 2015 Town Hall on Race and Inclusion that the university find more ways to honor contributions people of color have made to UNC.

The Bridge Builders scholarships are need-based and included as part of qualifying students’ aid packages.

Students will be notified if selected following their admission to UNC and a reception to honor the Bridge Builders will be held in the fall.

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