Three county students named Park Scholarship finalists

RALEIGH — Three Moore County seniors have been named finalists for N.C. State’s top merit scholarship. Natham Timothy Auman of Union Pines, Molly Sue Smith of North Moore and Ethan Alexander Spain of Pinecrest were named finalists for the Park Scholarship. The Park Scholarships program announced Friday that 112 finalists were named from 2,260 applicants from across the United States.

Nathan Timothy Auman, son of Bryan and Stephanie Auman, is from Jackson Springs. Auman will graduate from Union Pines High School where he is the commanding officer of the Navy JROTC, editor–in–chief of the yearbook and core leader of Student2Student. He also volunteers for National Honor Society and Leo Club, and recently initiated a support group for classmates who have emotional and mental difficulties. Auman plans to major in engineering.

Molly Sue Smith, daughter of Daniel and Cheryl Smith, is from Robbins. Smith will graduate from North Moore High School where she is executive student body president, president of the Random Acts of Kindness Club and brass captain for the North Moore Marching Mustangs. She is also a fundraiser for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a Moore County Schools Student Ambassador and works as a Floral Clerk at Harris Teeter in her free time. Smith plans to double major in political science and environmental science.

Ethan Alexander Spain, son of Kathleen Letizia and Mark Spain, is from Pinehurst. Spain will graduate from Pinecrest High School. He is executive vice president of the Student Government Association, a varsity tennis player, and an online student at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. He volunteers as a peer tutor at Pinecrest and West Pine Middle School as a clarinet tutor. He also plays in the all–volunteer Moore County Concert Band. Spain plans to major in aerospace engineering.

Started in 1996, the Park Scholarship selects students based on outstanding accomplishments and potential in scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The scholarship is named for the late Roy H. Park, a 1931 NC State alumnus who created the charitable Park Foundation, dedicated to education, media, and the environment. Approximately 40 scholarships will be awarded this year to outstanding high school seniors for undergraduate study in any discipline at NC State.