2022 NCACAA Youth Scholarship Recipients

2022 North Carolina Association of County Agricultural 

Agents Association (NCACAA) Youth Scholarship Award Winners

The North Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents Association proudly announces Whitley Dockery, Jeffrey Bradley, Emily Holmes, and Amelia Radford as the 2022 youth scholarship award winners.  The scholarship award is being presented to 4 most deserving students who have exhibited excellence in leadership and community service.  North Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents established this $1000 scholarship to four member or life members’ children or grandchildren to aid them with tuition at any University of their choice.  

Whitley Dockery is the daughter of Dalton and Sheila Dockery of Bladenboro.  Whitley will be studying Speech and Hearing Sciences at East Carolina University in the Fall. She was inspired by the barriers to communication that exist for the hearing impaired and knew that she wanted to help people and make a difference in their lives.  She plans to become a certified Speech Pathologist and intends to open up her own local practice. When asked how her Extension Agent father has made a difference in her life, she said, “My father has made a huge impact on my life by inspiring me to do my best, and never give up.  My dad will always be special to me because of his guidance, support and love. I will always be thankful for positive relationship with my father.”

Jeffrey Bradley is the son of Art and Kathy Bradley from Edgecombe County.  Jeffrey will be studying Biological and Agricultural Engineering Technology at North Carolina State University in the fall.  Jeffrey will be pursuing a BS in BAET, combining his love of farming, math science and technology. He hopes to improve agricultural processes and machinery through technological advances and work directly with farmers to improve production and crop yields through advancing technologies and implementation of best practices. When asked how his Extension Agent father impacted his life, he replied, “my father has always been one of my biggest role models. He has taught me by example how to be a servant leader. He inspires me to volunteer and to serve my community to try to make a difference where I can with the skills and gifts I am blessed to have.”

Emily Holmes is the daughter of Jeff and Kathryn Holmes from Rockingham County. Emily will be entering The East Carolina School of Dental Medicine in the fall.  She wanted to be a dentist since she was 3 years old. She plans to return to a rural, underserved community to provide both care and education to patients who have previously had limited healthcare and most specifically dentistry opportunities. When asked how her Extension Agent Mother, Kathryn Holmes has impacted her life, she says, “My mother has shown me the value of hard work, and kindness. She treats everyone with an immeasurable amount of kindness and I strive to exude these values my mother has taught me.”

Amelia Radford is the daughter of James and Joanna Radford of Surry County.  She will be studying Psychology at Montreat College in the fall. Amelia says that over her high school years it was clear the she would like to be a child psychiatrist. She would like to be able to help children and adolescents improve their mental well-being.  When asked how her Extension Agent mother has impacted her life, she said, “She has always told me to choose a career I love, I will never have to work a day in my life. She taught me that I need to choose a career that I’m passionate about. She taught me anything worth doing is worth doing well, and if I do my best, I will not have any regrets. If I could choose to be like anyone, it would be my mama.”