Applicants must be high school seniors who are residents of Cherokee, Clay, or Graham counties in North Carolina. Applicants must have plans to attend an accredited college or university and pursue a degree in an approved field of study. Selections are based on application responses, without discrimination to race, sex, religion, color, sexual orientation, or national origin. Approved fields of study are listed below. Other fields of study may also be approved; however, applicants must secure prior approval for an unlisted major.
The Carson Conservation Scholarship Committee grants three awards annually to one senior in each of the three counties. The top award is $2,000 (or 100% of the cost for one year, whichever is lower) and is renewable at $1,000/year for up to three additional years, based on continued eligibility. Additional non-renewable awards of $500 are made in each of the other two counties (in which the top award winner does not reside) if qualifying applications are received.
2025: Bryce Adams, Graham County resident and 2025 Robbinsville High School graduate, received the top Carson Conservation Scholarship award of $2,000 in 2025.
2024: Donovan Carpenter, Graham County resident and 2024 Robbinsville High School graduate, received the top Carson Conservation Scholarship award of $2,000 in 2024.
2023: Will Johnson, Cherokee County resident and 2023 Murphy High School graduate, received the top Carson Conservation Scholarship award of $2,000 in 2023. An additional $500 scholarship was awarded to Abby Lancaster from Robbinsville High School in Graham County.
2022: Marley Kelly, Clay County resident and Tri-County Early College graduate received the top Carson Conservation Scholarship award of $2,000 in 2022. Additional $500 scholarships were awarded to Baylee Parham from Robbinsville High School in Graham County and Lauren Cheeks from Hayesville High School in Clay County.
2021: Kaiya Pickens of Murphy High in Cherokee County received the top Carson Conservation Scholarship award of $2,000 in 2021. Additional $500 scholarships were awarded to Ethan Beavers from Robbinsville High School in Graham County, and Colby Davis from Hiwassee Dam High School in Cherokee County.
2019: Taylor LaTulipe of Murphy High in Cherokee County received the top Carson Conservation Scholarship award of $2,000 in 2019. A scholarship of $500 was also presented to Destinee Cable of Robbinsville High in Graham County. There were no Clay County applicants in 2019.
2018: Gavin Morgan of Hayesville High in Clay County received the top Carson Conservation Scholarship award of $2,000 in 2018. A scholarship of $500 was also presented to Dakota Lewis of Robbinsville High in Graham County. There were no Cherokee County applicants in 2018.
2017: Cutler Edwards of Robbinsville High in Graham County received the top Carson Conservation Scholarship award of $2,000 in 2017. Scholarships of $500 each were also presented to Kylan Thompson of Andrews High in Cherokee County and Bronson Kirby of Hayesville High in Clay County.
Donations to initially establish the Carson Conservation Scholarship were made by Cherokee County Soil & Water Conservation District, Clay County Soil & Water Conservation District, Michael Baker Engineering, Fred & Carolyn Carson, and more than 50 individuals, many of whom were members of Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church. The scholarship program continues to rely on contributions from individuals and organizations. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law and may be sent to MountainTrue, 90 Tennessee St., Suite D, Murphy, NC 28906 with the designation “Carson Conservation Scholarship” noted. You may also donate to the scholarship fund online by designating your donation “In Memory Of” Glenn Carson.
