Vale, NC - LeeAnna Tiffany Young, daughter of Jeff and Regina Young, Vale, N.C. is one of 112 students that have been named as finalists for the 11th class of Park Scholars.

These prestigious awards are valued at about $57,000 for North Carolina residents and $106,000 for out-of-state students. The Park Foundation has committed $3.5 million to be awarded to 50 of these outstanding students by March 1. The remaining finalists will receive the Provost’s Academic Award, a $10,000 scholarship.

LeeAnna will graduate from West Lincoln High School, where she is president of the Beta Club, senior class secretary, and president of Mu Alpha Theta, a math honor society. She is the captain and number-one seed of the varsity tennis team, was West Lincoln's Carrousel Princess, and serves on the City of Lincolnton's Student Advisory Council. LeeAnna plans to major in medical engineering.

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The Park Scholarships program is among America’s most prestigious undergraduate merit scholarship programs. The scholarships pay expenses for four years of study at NC State, and include a computer stipend and funds for academic enrichment activities.

Twins, a “carputer” designer, a track and field state champion and a writer for a large North Carolina newspaper all number among the finalists this year. The finalists have founded numerous volunteer service organizations, including a school chapter of the March of Dimes,
while others have volunteered with the Open Door Clinic, local animal shelters, and other agencies.

“These finalists represent the best students across North Carolina and the nation,” said Laura Gail Lunsford, director of the Park Scholarships program. “This is a real tribute, not only to the public schools in North Carolina, but to all the schools across the country, because it reflects the kind of preparation that dedicated teachers can provide all of our children.”

The Park Foundation of Ithaca, N.Y., established the scholarships at NC State in 1996 with an initial gift to support 25 Park Scholars. The scholarships are named in honor of the late Roy H. Park, who passed away in 1993. Park was a distinguished alumnus of NC State and president of Park Communications Inc., a conglomerate of newspapers, television and radio stations that, at one point, reached one-third of all American homes. Dorothy Park, president of the Park Foundation, recently gave a $5 million personal gift toward the establishment of a new Park Alumni Center at NC State, which will soon house the Park Scholarships’ Centennial Campus office.

Selection criteria for the merit-based Park Scholarships include academic achievement; personal characteristics such as character, integrity and motivation; exceptional leadership potential; and commitment to the betterment of one’s community. The scholarships are renewable each year, based on student academic achievement and personal conduct.

Chancellor James L. Oblinger will host a special dinner in honor of the finalists on Feb. 17. The finalists will participate in selection activities on NC State’s Centennial Campus the following day.