Final recipient of first ‘Remember Carly Rae’ scholarship announced at ceremony

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The final recipient of the first ‘Remember Carly Rae’ scholarship was announced during the Mosley Career Readiness Academy graduation ceremony on Tuesday, June 5.

Jocelyn Garnica-Lopez of Ashley High School, who will be attending UNCW, was one of several students awarded the $1000 scholarship from the Alex Highsmith Family Foundation and Baron Family. The founder of the foundation says their goal is to award a student from each school in New Hanover County the scholarship.

“What we look for in that is a good person, a person who cares about others and enjoys school and we really feel this can help them at the next level. Yeah, academics are involved and academics are a part of it but it’s not the majority so it’s a combination of a lot of things,” Alex Highsmith said.

The scholarship is named in honor of Carly Rae Baron, who attended Ashley High and sadly lost her life in a fatal shooting in October 2020.

“Knowing her and knowing her family makes it that much more important. I know she was a beautiful young lady inside and out and to be able to do this and keep her name and memory alive is just, there are no words for it,” Smith said.

Over the weekend, New Hanover County Schools announced that Ashley High School students Makenzie Farr, Kenan Everhart, Andre Yeoman and Oscar Cleaveland received scholarships as well. In an update on Tuesday, June 6, Hoggard High School students William Hendrick Norris and Julio Lima-Romano were announced as recipients.

The scholarship was awarded to students from three NHC schools last week, including Laney, Issac Bear Early College, and Wilmington Early College.

“It’s not really fair to just give it to Ashley (students). I knew a lot of other students who went to Myrtle Grove with her, at Hoggard, at New Hanover, she had friends at Laney so let’s just make this something we share for the county. It also helps keep her name alive that much more,” Smith said.

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