Robyn’s desire to share her success with others led her to found Youth Enrichment Series, Inc. (YES I CAN), a faith-based, pre-college enrichment program that helps youth identify their purpose and develop and execute the life skills needed to achieve their goals. She also initiated and is currently the executive director of the “What’s After High School?” program, an initiative supported by the Alamance-Burlington School System that provides assistance with college and other post-high school opportunities.

The Morehead-Cain family has also benefited from Robyn’s charitable spirit. She has consistently served on the Central Selections Committee and has established lasting mentoring relationships with current Scholars and Alumni.

To read the article, click here.

On Saturday, November 21, 2008, Aisha Saad ’09 was chosen as one of 32 Rhodes Scholars in the United States. Aisha plans to earn her M.Sc. in nature, society, and environmental policy at Oxford, preparing her for a career in environmental law and creating sustainable global development.

As an environmental health sciences and Spanish double major, Aisha is well prepared for her upcoming journey as a Rhodes Scholar. Her Morehead-Cain summers have inspired her to establish the Women’s Health Education Program in Hyderabad, India, intern with government ministries in Peru, and research Cherokee Investment Partners efforts to redevelop contaminated land and clean the Union Carbide site in Bhopal, India. Aisha also spent a semester abroad in Egypt, where she helped develop a patient health education program at Cairo University Medical School Teaching Hospitals.

To read more about Aisha’s win and her future plans, click here.

On Saturday, November 28, 2008, Lisette Yorke '09 was also named a Rhodes Scholar. A native of Nova Scotia, Lisette is one of only 11 Canadian Rhodes winners.

Lisette will seek a master's degree in immunology at Oxford, focusing on HIV-related processes. Afterward, she hopes to earn a medical degree.

As part of her Morehead-Cain Summer Enrichment experiences, Lisette, a biology major, has traveled to Thailand and Cambodia, worked with HIV/AIDS patients in Rwanda, and interned with a law firm in London.

To read more about Lisette's win, please click here.

Aisha and Lisette are the 24th and 25th Scholars in the history of the Morehead Program to win the Rhodes. Since the first graduating class of Morehead Scholars in 1957, 25 of the 28 UNC Rhodes Scholars have been Morehead-Cain Scholars. Worldwide, about 85 Rhodes Scholars are selected annually in 14 jurisdictions.

"It is not often that you get two former United States ambassadors, a CIA counterterrorism analyst, a Peace Corps alumna, a Google associate and a trio of Foreign Service officers in one room.

But then again, the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program is not your ordinary scholarship either. And it is exactly this prestigious scholarship that linked together the distinguished panel of seven UNC-Chapel Hill alumni and former Morehead-Cain recipients, who spoke as part of the first Alumni-in-Residence conference on November 13 and 14, 2008.

Organized by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, the International Issues panel discussion was but one of a full schedule of interesting events, centered on the chosen theme for this semester’s conference: International Career Opportunities. This pertinent topic was selected specifically by the current scholars, who are quickly recognizing the importance of gaining a sense of understanding and sensitivity to other cultures, particularly as they venture into an increasingly globalized job market. . ."

To read the complete article, click here.

Tripp was awarded the $5,000 prize for co-founding Vinyl Records, the first-ever nonprofit student-run record label and music incubator program at the UniversityNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill. Today, Tripp will ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange with hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons along with the winners of the film and fashion Race to BE. contests. of

To read more about Tripp’s win and Vinyl Records, click here.

November 2008 Alumni-in-Residence

After graduating from UNC, Erika Hamilton '00 spent a year working with Citibank in New York, conducting financial analysis and structuring loan transactions in the Latin American power and energy sectors, before joining the CIA in 2001.

As an analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence, Erika has published 15 classified intelligence assessments on terrorism finance and money laundering for senior policymakers in the White House, Department of Treasury, and throughout the intelligence community. She also briefed multiple foreign government liaison services and served rotations to the U.S. Embassies in Spain (2004) and Jordan (2005) following terrorist attacks. Erika took time out to pursue her MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, which she received in May 2008.

Tony was nominated by President Clinton (and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a record 12 days!) to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Brazil. Previously, Tony was a senior corporate partner at Hogan & Hartson, a Washington-based international law firm; Chairman of the President's Intelligence Oversight Board; Vice Chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board; and a member of the congressionally created Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

In addition, Tony co-founded several communications/ technology firms, including Telecom*USA, the fourth largest U.S. long-distance telephone company prior to its merger with MCI.

After graduating from UNC, Tony received a law degree from Duke Law School.

In 2003, Bethany entered a PhD program in the Department of Biostatistics at Harvard School of Public Health, and took a leave of absence in her fourth year to work at the Centers for Disease Control as a strategic information technical advisor to the Ministry of Health in Malawi. In 2007 she returned to Harvard to complete her graduate thesis-"Novel Methods for Efficient Surveillance and Monitoring." Since graduating this year, Bethany has worked as a research fellow, integrating theoretical statistical work with real-world applications-including collaborations with the World Bank and Muhimbili University in Tanzania.

Bill graduated from UNC with a BA in English, received a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University's School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS); and a master's degree in political science from Stanford University. Bill was born in Greensboro and is married to Jill Williams Lucas, also a 1973 graduate of UNC-CH. They have three children.

A foreign service officer since 1998, Benjamin Ousley Naseman '96 is currently studying Polish at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, Virginia. In 2009, Benjamin will assume the job of branch public affairs officer with the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. In his most recent assignment, he was an instructor with the Foreign Service Institute's Consular Training Division at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, Virginia. Prior to that, Benjamin served as consular section chief with the U.S. Consulate in Nogales, Mexico, where he supervised the American citizen services unit and non-immigrant visa unit. He served in the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, in the non-immigrant visa unit and economic section in 2001–2002. His first Foreign Service assignment was in Hermosillo, Mexico from 1999–2000.

Ben studied journalism and international studies at UNC and completed the creative writing honors sequence. His summer experiences with the Morehead included a photodocumentary project in Cuba, internships with The Conservation Fund and Tucson Police Department, and the NOLS Wind River Course. Ben grew up in Lawndale, North Carolina. His wife, Angel, is also a UNC graduate and they have four children.

Born in Sylva, North Carolina, Ed graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1957 as a member of the first undergraduate class of Morehead Scholars. At UNC, Ed was a student-athlete, lettering in basketball, football, and track. His athletic talent took him to the NFL, where he played on the 1961 Green Bay Packers World Championship team. In 1962, Ed earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis. He had a long and successful medical career in California, and will be remembered for his gregarious personality and his dedication to his family and patients.

Ed was loved and admired by many, and is survived by a host of family and friends. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. at Cullowhee United Methodist Church in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

To learn more about Ed’s life and the ways in which you can honor his memory, click here.

Kelly graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor of arts degree in English. As assistant director of development, Kelly assists with fundraising efforts for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund and the Morehead-Cain Foundation Annual Fund, and meets regularly with Morehead-Cain constituents.

A Charlotte-based attorney, Buddy has spent his full legal career at Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, where he is a partner specializing in complex civil litigation. Buddy has been the lead on several landmark cases, including Hyatt v. Barnhart--a statewide class action lawsuit contesting the termination and denial of social security benefits for disabled North Carolinians.

Buddy is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the American College of Trial Lawyers. Buddy was also highlighted as one of North Carolina's best attorneys in the 2008 editions of The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Benchmark: Litigation, and the magazine North Carolina Super Lawyers.

While thanking the NCBA in his acceptance speech for "this high honor," Buddy also challenged his fellow members to collectively use their abilities to foster a better tomorrow.

"If we could harness the energy and talent assembled in this room this morning--if we could harness the energy and talent of our profession represented by those in this room this morning--who knows what we might see, together, in the days ahead."

For more information about Buddy's new role as NCBA president-elect, click here.

Collins holds a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of Georgia. As the program assistant for Scholar selection, Collins will help manage the Scholar selection process and monitor the needs of and communicate with the candidates, high school personnel, committee members, and candidates' parents.

Morehead Alumnus James Dean '89 is not only in the business of creating award-winning reality television, but for the past fifteen years, he has also been in the business of helping to turn dreams into reality.

Each year, talented and hopeful students attending secondary schools in Great Britain vie for the life-changing opportunity of being selected as a Morehead-Cain Scholar. This year, four students were selected to be interviewed by the Morehead-Cain Central Selection Committee in Chapel Hill. Three of the students were awarded the Scholarship and will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall.

James joined the Foundation's British Selection Committee in 1993, serving as chairman from 1997 to 2007 and as co-chairman during the 2007-2008 selection process. He has also served as chairman (2002-2007) and co-chairman (2001-2002, 2007-2008) of the British Scholarship Committee.

And thanks to James and his fellow committee members, the British selection process is stronger than ever.

"It's been a very fulfilling 15 years being part of the British Program. When I joined, we were in the process of restructuring the way we worked, and came up with a model where the British Alumni formed the committee to promote the Scholarship and perform the interviews. Thanks to the Foundation's support, that system is still in place, and works extremely well."

James says that a large part of what makes the selection process successful is Alumni involvement.

"We always encourage Alumni to help us--to join the committee, to help promote the Scholarship to their old schools, and to contribute in other ways (College Day, school visits, advising nominees). It's always important to have recent Alumni come on board, since they are the ones that have the freshest experience of the Scholarship and its potential to transform lives."

And because of his belief in the life-transforming opportunity that is the Morehead-Cain experience, James's commitment to the Program has been invaluable, as he passionately encourages Alumni participation and has a knack for identifying students who will make the most of the Scholarship.

"We are always looking for [young] people who have demonstrated a desire and an ability to find leadership challenges in their schools and in life outside school. This generally means people with a strong sense of self-motivation and a need to challenge themselves. British students are often more reserved than their American counterparts, so without an innate desire to seek out challenges and leadership positions, I don't think they would achieve as much as we'd like them to at Chapel Hill."

As an Alumnus of the program, James definitely fits the bill. During his studies at Carolina, he explored his interest in film and used his Morehead summer experiences to broaden his horizons and find his voice.

James has shared his voice with the world as a successful London-based filmmaker and television producer. Some of his credits include A&E's reality show Airline, Temptation Island, Celebrity Fit Club, and Shrink, an award-winning comedy that he wrote, directed, and produced. James produces two to three programs each year for the major television networks in the United Kingdom and is currently working on two feature films--one he is writing and the other he is producing. James also has a comedy pilot called This is Jinsy in the works, which he hopes to sell to a network and develop into a full series.

In addition to contributing to the world at large via his films and television shows, James continues to be involved, along with his partner Dean, in the charity Room to Read. Through this charity, James supports the building of schools and libraries for children in the developing world, as well as funding for girls' scholarships and the publication of much-needed children's books. With the help of James and his fellow volunteers, Room to Read has recently funded a school in Laos and a library in Vietnam.

And what are James's hopes for the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program going forward? His "hopes have always been that the Program, like any good business, keeps growing." To help foster that growth, James will continue to serve on the British Selection Committee and act as an advisor for the 2008-2009 selection process, helping to attract outstanding potential scholars, create new partnerships, and expand the reach of the Program.

With the support of talented and devoted Alumni like James, the Morehead-Cain British selection process will continue to produce Scholars who will uphold the tradition of striving for excellence and sharing their unique gifts with the world.

"The Morehead-Cain Alumni group is incredibly diverse, and while most of us believe in the Morehead-Cain creed of trying to contribute to the world at large, we all do so in very different ways."

The Morehead-Cain Foundation acknowledges with gratitude the time, energy, and commitment of James Dean and the many other volunteers on the British Selection Committee who dedicate themselves to the success of the selection process each year.

As a Peace, War, and Defense and Arabic double-major, de Lancie has already had extensive exposure to Middle Eastern cultures. He spent his 2005-2006 school year in Cairo, Egypt, perfecting his Arabic and gaining new insights about the Arabic culture. Last summer, de Lancie's travels as a Morehead-Cain Scholar took him back to the Middle East (Turkey, Jordan, Israel/Palestine, and Egypt) to examine the effects of Crusader rhetoric in modern-day Islamist movements. He is currently writing an honors thesis on the subject and is in the final stages of completing a video documentary about Middle Eastern cultures. The documentary will be shown on the UNC campus and around the country, as well as distributed on the Internet.

While in Jordan, de Lancie will work with the Center for Strategic Studies and the International Rescue Committee to gain an understanding of the economic impact of and institutional responses to the influx of Iraqi refugees. De Lancie will also create another documentary film chronicling the experiences of three Iraqi families and three Jordanian families. He hopes to use the film "as a tool to explore each family's stories, hopes, and expectations for the future."

"I want to see how the two communities view the relationship between each other, and what they hope that relationship will be in the future," de Lancie said. He also hopes the film will help American audiences to understand the Iraqi immigration issue beyond news headlines.

After completing a year of research in Jordan, de Lancie plans to study international relations and conflict resolution in graduate school in preparation for further work in the Middle East.

"I want to work directly with the communities in which I'm living to promote effective communication and understanding. Improving my Arabic will allow me to work throughout the Arab world, and my ability to converse freely will hopefully break down barriers and stereotypes of Americans in the Middle East. While my project is tailored specifically to Jordan, the question of how different communities relate to each other is an important issue for the patchwork of peoples in the entire Middle East."

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program promotes cultural awareness and understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Award recipients use the funding to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools.