Zaire Garner, a senior at South Lenoir High School, is a finalist for the Goodnight Scholarship, a full-ride merit scholarship designed to bring top STEM-directed students to NC State University.

In December, the people administering the Goodnight Scholarship, a full-ride merit scholarship designed to bring top STEM-directed students to NC State University, sent out invitations to apply to 900 high school seniors. Zaire Garner of South Lenoir High School got one of those.

Earlier this month, the Goodnight people sent announcements to the 100 seniors selected as scholarship finalists, based on their application and response to an essay question. Zaire got one of those, too.

“This scholarship is really at the top of my list,” Zaire said this week.

He brings to the competition a strong academic record and a history of involvement in school and community activities. At South Lenoir, he’s a peer-to-peer tutor through LCPS’s partnership with AmeriCorps and in the community he’s active in the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy and Junior Leadership Lenoir.

“Zaire is an outstanding young man who demonstrates excellence in all he encounters. He is intelligent, compassionate, inquisitive and an incredibly driven student,” Candice Tyndall, a school counselor at South Lenoir. “Zaire has a unique combination of qualities that leads me to believe there will be no limit to his growth and achievements in college and beyond. We are so proud of him.” 

As an aspiring mechanical engineer, Zaire may stand out in the group of finalists because of his work for the past year at Kinston’s Crown Equipment facility, a job he won through the pre-apprentice program that connects LCPS high school students with local employers and that Crown originated. It’s an after-school job but, in terms of learning, it’s a lot like school, according to Zaire.

“I’ve been able to learn a great deal,” he said. “I’ve had conversations with the engineers out there and soon I’ll be shadowing with the engineers. It’s been a great experience working there. I’ve learned a lot about being in a work environment.”

The Goodnight is designed to promoted STEM-oriented careers like engineering. Worth $22,000 annually, the Goodnight also offers its scholars mentorship assistance, community service opportunities, domestic and international travel retreats and enrichment grants that help fund their unique interests.

Interviews for finalists are scheduled for March 4 in Raleigh. The 50 or so seniors chosen for the Goodnight are to be notified soon after. Zaire is prepping for the big day with practice interviews, bolstered by the support of people at school, at Crown and in the community.

“Everybody’s been excited for me. It’s been nice to have that support,” he said. “It’s been amazing to know that I’ve got so many people in my corner, hoping the best for me.”