Over the last 10 years, Sandhills PRIDE’s scholarships have enabled 34 students to pursue higher learning, offering more than $100,000 in scholarships.
“Continuing that tradition of paving a path for higher education for future LGBTQ+ community members and allies, we are awarding scholarships to four more incredible young Sandhills students,” said Sandhills PRIDE in a news release. “Each of these young students have shown a dedication to their local and larger LGBTQ+ communities. We are proud to announce this year’s recipients are Gabbi Quick, Izzie Seawell, Noah Farrell, and Flint McLester, all of whom will be honored at a scholarship reception at Weymouth on Sunday, May 17th, from 6:00-8:00 PM.”
Noah June Farrell from Pinecrest High School is Sarah Lawrence College bound with an intended Visual Arts Major. A dedicated artist, Noah’s been intimately involved with Pinecrest Players as both a stage manager and a director and won the Phi Beta Kappa Book Award. Academically, they’ve become Student Government Association President and attended NC Governor’s School. Noah showed their strength and advocacy by actively participating in efforts against the proposed Parent’s Bill of Rights and by serving as the president of Pinecrest’s Gay-Straight Alliance. A constant presence with the local PFLAG chapter, Noah cares greatly about the power of their art, writing the following: “In pursuing higher education, I hope to use my art as a form of activism, and to use educational resources to become a more knowledgeable, empathetic, and confident person for the benefit of that activism, and to be someone that other people can lean on.”
Gabi Quick from Massey Hill Classical School is a future political leader planning to major in Political-Science at one of the many excellent universities to which she’s been admitted. She is the captain of her school’s Speech/Debate Club, winning the National Speech and Debate Degree of Distinction, the Student Government Association Present, a junior marshal, the Chapter President of Active Minds, a Spark NC Intern, and a Fayetteville Future Black History Maker. When writing about her journey as a black lesbian, Gabi imparted the following: “My journey through accepting my sexuality and aiding others to help accept it too has taught me that the first and most susceptible form of advocacy for the community is to normalize who we are. My sexuality is not a secret, nor is it a blinding label that consumes my life; it is how I love, and what is more powerful than normalizing the boundless concept of love.”
Izzie Seawell from Montgomery County Early College plans to be Earth Science Major at University of North Carolina, where she hopes to focus in on conservation studies. Her academic success has included NC Governor’s School, Florida State’s University’s NASA Minority University Research Education Project Summer Institute of Geospatial Science, UNC Institute for the Environment’s Youth Engaging in Science Resilience Ambassador, NC State’s Soil and Water Resource Conservation Workshop, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematic’s Summer Ventures in Archaeology, Student Government Association, being a junior marshal, founding Project Au, a program where she assisted in coaching younger student’s Science Fair projects, and being the President of the Save Our World Club. Outside of academics, Izzie was the Early College Homecoming Queen, Phi Theta Kappa President, a food bank volunteer, and an avid athlete, taking part in lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball.
Flint McLester from Richmond Early College High School is headed for Western Carolina University majoring in Communication Services and Disorders. With an Associates Degree in Art already under his belt, Flint is sure to do incredible things. Flint is an accomplished artist, a three-time finalist in NC Beta Convention’s Hand Drawn Anime Competition. He’s a regular polyglot with a mastery of English and a fluency in both Spanish and American Sign Language. Academically, he’s made the President’s List, been honored as a junior marshal, attended Governor’s School for Visual Arts, and served as a Richmond Community College Ambassador.
“Sandhills PRIDE will host a reception to celebrate and award these four exceptional young leaders at Weymouth Center for the Arts on Sunday, May 17th, from 6:00-8:00 PM,” said the release. “In addition to celebrating our recipients’ success, the reception serves as a fundraiser for Sandhills PRIDE’s scholarship program. Your attendance and your donations help make this program possible. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at the link below. All proceeds are dedicated to continuing Sandhills PRIDE’s scholarship program. The reception will be catered by Elliott’s on Linden with music by Harpist Alicia Reid, open access to the Weymouth gardens, a premium viewing of the awards ceremony, and an open bar.”
Scholarship information and tickets: https://sandhillspride.salsalabs.org/2026sandhillspridescholarshipreception.
Feature photo: Gabi Quick (top left), Flint McLester, Noah June Farrell and Izzie Seawell. Contributed photos.
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Contributed article.
