Newest Class Of Levine Scholars Set To Join Charlotte in Fall 2025
UNC Charlotte’s Levine Scholars Program has selected 20 exceptional young leaders from across the United States for the 16th class of the University’s most competitive academic scholarship. The scholars will join UNC Charlotte in fall 2025.
The University’s premier merit-based scholarship is valued at approximately $124,000 per North Carolina student and $187,000 for each student from other states. The award covers full tuition, housing, meals, mandatory fees and provides a stipend for books and summer experiences. Scholars are also provided additional funding to support civic engagement opportunities and professional development. The Leon Levine Foundation recently renewed its commitment to the program through a gift of $24.9 million to the University.
“We are pleased to welcome the newest class of Levine Scholars to Niner Nation,” said Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “With alumni having a lasting impact around the region and around the world, our Levine Scholars are shining examples of what makes UNC Charlotte such an amazing place to be. We are expecting great things from the Levine Class of 2029 in the future.”
Levine Scholars are selected through a rigorous nomination and interview process, including an in-person finalist program, where invited students and their families tour campus and meet current scholars, program staff and alumni as well as members of the faculty and University leadership. The Levine Scholars Program prioritizes the following characteristics for selection: academic excellence and curiosity, ethical leadership and a demonstrated record of community service. This year’s selection processes included nearly 3,000 scholarship nominations and 1,260 completed applications. Selected scholars come from six different states and 10 counties across North Carolina.
“This year’s incoming class of Levine Scholars bring an impressive array of academic, service and leadership achievement,” said Heather Smith, the program’s faculty director. “The LSP community is excited to welcome and work with these new scholars as they seek to uphold the program’s traditions and values and make their mark on our campus and city.”
The Levine Scholars for Class of 2029 from North Carolina are: Suhani Dadhania, Cary, Panther Creek High School; Myles Davis, Charlotte, Mallard Creek High School; Benjamin Dell, Fayetteville, Jack Britt High School; Thalia Dominguez Martinez, Wake Forest, Wake STEM Early College High School; Mia Green, Mount Gilead, Richmond Senior High School; Makayla Hall, High Point, Middle College at UNC Greensboro; Hattie Rose Hanrick, Shelby, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy; Hannah Holness, Walnut Cove, South Stokes High School; Jacquelin Jose, Oxford, Oxford Preparatory High School; Atticus Kenney, Durham, Riverside High School; Joselyn Moreno, Olin, North Iredell High School; Rafael Reed, Huntersville, Merancas Middle College High School.
The Class of 2029 recipients from out-of-state are: David Alexander, Alpharetta, Georgia, Chattahoochee High School; Amanda Carlile, Santa Rosa, California, Montgomery High School; Ronnie Carrillo, Huntington, New York, Saint Anthony’s High School; Rex Jacobs, Medford, New Jersey, Shawnee High School; Lillian Mirosavich, Columbia, South Carolina, Richland Northeast High School; Genevieve Romney, Salt Lake City, Utah, Skyline High School; Ryan Scribner, Fort Mill, South Carolina, JMH Academy; Rodney Williams, Kennesaw, Georgia, Harrison High School.
Established in 2009, the Levine Scholars Program was created to recruit extraordinary high school students based on scholarship, ethical leadership and civic engagement. With this new investment, The Leon Levine Foundation maintains its distinction as UNC Charlotte’s largest cumulative donor, having contributed nearly $53 million to the University to date.
Leon Levine, who founded Family Dollar Stores Inc., retired as chairman and CEO in 2003. The Levine family is involved in a number of civic and charitable causes in the Charlotte region and throughout the Carolinas through The Leon Levine Foundation. Leon Levine died in April 2023, leaving a legacy of generosity, service and impact for scholars to follow.
“The Levine Scholars program with its emphasis on leadership development and community engagement continues to make an impact at the University, in our community, and beyond,” said Tom Lawrence, president of The Leon Levine Foundation. “We look forward to seeing this fine group of incoming scholars expand the high traditions of leadership, innovation and community engagement set by the scholars who came before them.”