Last Updated on September 3, 2026 8:07 am
The North Carolina Community Foundation has awarded Disaster Relief and Resilience Scholarships to 14 graduating high school seniors from seven western North Carolina counties, including Watauga, helping students whose ability to pursue higher education was directly impacted by Hurricane Helene.
The program will provide $250,000 in renewable scholarship support to this year's recipients through 2030, including $65,000 during the 2026-27 academic year. Eligible students may renew their scholarships each year through graduation. Twelve recipients will attend four-year colleges and universities, while two will attend North Carolina community colleges.
“Thanks to the generosity of our donors, these students can move forward with their education and pursue the futures they've worked so hard to achieve,” said Kathryn Holding, NCCF's Vice President of Philanthropic Services. “We're honored to help remove one financial barrier as they begin this next chapter.”
The scholarship was open to graduating high school seniors from the 16 western North Carolina counties most severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. Awards were based on financial need, the storm's impact on a student's ability to pay for college, and a preference for students from rural communities. This year's recipients hail from Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Haywood, Henderson, Watauga and Yancey counties.
Among this year's recipients is Keenan Machi of Asheville, who will attend the University of Michigan to study mechanical engineering. “Although experiencing Helene was devastating, what has come from that experience amounts to a lifelong gift of opportunity through quality education,” Machi said. “I will always be a steward of these mountains and promise to represent the people of its hills and hollows well.”
In the two years since Hurricane Helene, the Disaster Relief and Resilience Scholarship has supported 120 students with a total scholarship commitment of $1.5 million, including renewable awards. The scholarship is one part of NCCF's broader disaster recovery effort — over $33 million has been contributed to NCCF's Disaster Relief Fund, and nearly $22 million has been awarded to support long-term recovery across western North Carolina.
More information on NCCF's Hurricane Helene recovery work is available at nccommunityfoundation.org/helene.
