Dr. Sharon Collins Presnel

I was born and raised in the Carolina piedmont with firm roots in the muddy banks of the Yadkin River and deep-seeded yearning to learn, grow, and discover the world beyond. I credit my family for feeding my curiosity while instilling sound core value and work ethic, and a host of teachers and employers for letting me know that there was a nearly unlimited supply of knowledge and experiences to be gleaned if I would just reach out and grab them. Many years ago, I received financial assistance that helped me take the leap and navigate both undergraduate and graduate school – something for which I will eternally be grateful but never able to repay. Consequently, I found my passion – what it is that I love to do so much that it often doesn’t even feel like work – and what a journey life has been! With this scholarship, my family hopes to find that young passionate soul who is as hungry for experiences as they are for good grades…that person who is willing to work hard and wants to break the mold and achieve a dream or two. There is a quote that I love, and it still puts chills up and down my spine every time I hear it: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Truman Truer words were never spoken, and it is the secret to simultaneously being successful and being happy. May the recipients of this scholarship feel the joy and gratitude our family experiences with the creation of the fund, and know that we are investing in them so that they can create their own future where all things are possible.