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Scholarship Winners

June 2026

This is the second year of the NCAST Teen Ambassador program, which is a partnership with the NC High School Athletic Association. About 100 students participated, advocating safe driving habits to their peers and the public. The most active of this year’s ambassadors have been awarded scholarships totaling $11,500 this year. Our 2026 Teen Ambassador Scholarship Recipients are:

  • Isabella Avila   Union Pines High School
  • London Barber   Gates County High School
  • Rylan Breath   Mountain Island Charter High School
  • Sophie Brown   West Henderson High School
  • Khalia Cain   Greensboro College Middle College
  • Brooklyn Foust   Hoggard High School
  • Trey Laurore   Millbrook High School
  • Sydney Martin   Central Cabarrus High School
  • Aylin McGowan   Carrboro High School
  • Selah Miller   North Mecklenburg High School
  • Sedaya Rodriguez   Pinecrest High School
  • Lamont Vines   Southwest Edgecombe High School
  • Felton White   Rocky Mount High School

“We’re proud of these ambassadors – direct advocacy to young people is an important part of our mission to reduce crashes,” NCAST Board Chair Tiffany Wright said. “Always wear your seatbelt. Don’t hold a phone in your hand while you drive. Obey the speed limit. Focus.”

This school year our ambassadors threw out a first pitch at a Greensboro Grasshoppers game, participated in various media interviews, helped produce our Ask a Trooper feature, attended a World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event and, most importantly, spoke to their fellow students about the importance of good driving habits.

“I have had friends tell me they now drive differently because of our conversations,” said scholarship winner Carlo “Trey” Laurore, of Millbrook High School in Raleigh. “That matters because it shows how awareness can lead to real behavioral change.”

This year’s scholarship competition also included a letter-writing campaign. Ambassadors were asked to research and send a letter to the editor to their local newspaper including London Barber’s letter above published in the Gates County Index. Here are a few others:

Some ambassadors used their letter to advocate for passage of Senate Bill 797, the Hands Free NC act, which would make it illegal to hold a phone in your hand as you drive. North Carolina law already forbids texting while driving, but loopholes make that difficult to enforce.

Thirty-one other states already have a hands free law, and the idea polls above 90% in North Carolina.

“NCAST empowers students like me to speak up,” scholarship winner Selah Miller, of North Mecklenburg High School, said in her letter. “It may feel uncomfortable to ask someone to put their phone down or buckle up, but it can save lives. I urge support for Senate Bill 797, the Hands-Free NC Act, to make our roads safer. Safe driving starts with us.”