Lauryn Taylor was recently selected to be part of the Morehead-Cain Class of 2026.

The Morehead-Cain scholarship fully funds four years and summers along with room and board at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Focusing on the four pillars of leadership, character, scholarship, and physical vigor, the merit-based scholarship boasts of alumni from NC Governor Roy Cooper to director of NIH, Francis Collins. 

Taylor has thrived at Green Level in regards to both academic success and extracurricular passions. From being a track athlete to a roundtable leader, she has actively contributed to building community at Green Level High School since its foundation. One key feature of the scholarship is opportunities for outdoor trips with activities including hiking, ziplining, and camping, “I’ve been in Girl Scouts for 12 years so that was a big part in me showing that I’d be able to do that activity,” Taylor says. Overall, Taylor notes that many candidates showed similar characteristics of being determined in meeting personal goals, “I wouldn’t say any of us have the exact same passion but we were all so driven.”

Taylor offers advice to future applicants, “I’d always say you just need to apply. You may not think you are the best applicant or you have the best grades or have the best scores, because you never know if you’ll get selected.”

She found out about her acceptance mid-way through studying for an AP biology test, “I was actually really nervous because it was supposed to come out from 5 to 7 P.M. and I think it ended up coming out at 7:03 P.M.” But by the time she got home, her parents had purchased U.N.C. merchandise to celebrate.

The future for Taylor consists of a path to be a physician with lots of international and national travel through the program, “I am excited to look at healthcare systems outside of America and see what they’re doing to get some of the numbers that they have that we don’t. I’m just really excited to explore the world.”