North Lenoir High School senior and student leader Karrie-Lyn Deaver will represent Lenoir County Public Schools in competition for U.S. Presidential Scholars Program recognition for CTE students.

Amy Jones, LCPS’s director of high school education and CTE, announced Karrie-Lyn’s selection as the county nominee last week while honoring her and the two other county finalists, Nya Peoples of Kinston High School and Brian Martinez-Gonzalez of South Lenoir High School.

“The LCPS CTE Department is extremely proud of all of our school-level nominees for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education program,” Jones said. “These three students exemplify the very qualities of leadership, service and academic excellence that are typical of a U.S. Presidential Scholar.”

LCPS nominates one top student annually to compete on the state level and, if selected, to move on to national competition. Each year up to 20 graduating seniors are recognized as Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education based on their academic achievement, community involvement and their accomplishments in career and technical education fields.

Karrie-Lyn, of La Grange, is a CTE concentrator in three separate areas of North Lenoir’s program – agriculture, hospitality/tourism and health sciences – meaning she has earned at least three credits in each CTE cluster area. In the top 13 percent of her class academically, she is an active member of DECA, the student business club, and is president of the school’s FFA chapter, one of the largest in the state. She manages the school’s greenhouse operation, an indication of her “dedication and dependability,” according to the nomination written by CTE teacher Erin Berg.

“Karrie-Lyn has been deeply involved with the CTE program since her freshman year and has completed multiple CTE pathways,” Jones said. “As a member of her student organizations, she has competed in regional, state, and national competitions for both DECA and FFA and has been a winner at the regional and state levels. Karri's leadership qualities make her an asset to North Lenoir High School and will serve her very well in this competition and throughout her lifetime.”

Jones led a balloon-bearing prize patrol of district CTE staff – Brittany Harrison, Gina Cousins and Penny Lewis – to surprise and recognize the county’s three finalists last week.

Nya Peoples of Kinston is a CTE student in the Health Science pathway at Kinston High. Enrolled in honors and college-level classes, Nya is in the top 15 percent of her class academically. She is a varsity cheerleader and active in HOSA, a national organization for students with interests in health-care careers. She also works part-time at a daycare.

Brian Martinez-Gonzalez of Pink Hill is a CTE student in engineering at South Lenoir High. In the top 2 percent of his class academically, Brian is active in the school’s robotics program and competes as part of South Lenoir’s team in the TSA (Technology Student Association) regional games.

The county’s nominee expects to build on her CTE training and FFA affiliations when she moves on to college. “I want to go to N.C. State and do something in agriculture,” Karrie-Lyn said.

Her principal, Gil Respess, predicts a bright future. “She’s got a lot of promise,” he said. “She’s a hard worker, she’s very involved in the school and well-rounded. She’s got a great personality, good people skills. She’s got everything that somebody needs to be successful.”