Southpoint Access

Devak Shah Coltrane, a C.E. Jordan High School senior, an Eagle Scout with Durham Troop 451, and a board member at the Parktown Food Hub, is among this year’s Morehead-Cain Scholars selected by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

“At a time in which bold and ethical leadership is required across our global society, we welcome the Morehead-Cain Class of 2029 with a moment of celebration and a call to action,” said Chris Bradford, president of the Morehead-Cain Foundation. “These scholars were selected for their intellect and moral force of character, and we recognize their potential to lead lives of purpose and impact.”

Coltrane is also captain of Jordan’s varsity tennis team, president of the Science Olympiad team, and a lead trumpet player in the wind ensemble. He plans to major in environmental sciences at UNC.

“I am beyond honored and humbled to have received the Morehead-Cain Scholarship at UNC Chapel Hill,” Coltrane told Southpoint Access. “It is such an honor to me, my family, and everyone who has been part of my community that has helped me grow. I am incredibly grateful for all my teachers, coaches, all of Troop 451, and everyone who has invested in me over the years and helped me to become the person I am today.”

Attending UNC has been a longtime dream, he said, “and being a Morehead-Cain scholar makes it even better!”

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Lisa Greene, a fellow board member at the Parktown Food Hub, has known Coltrane for about five years. She wrote a recommendation letter about him to the scholarship selection committee.

“Devak exemplifies helpfulness, trustworthiness, and a willingness and ability to plan for and do hard things with friendliness and cheer,” Greene wrote. “He works well independently and on a team.”

She recalled a gathering place on a muddy hill, not easily reached, and Coltrane led a project to build a patio and make the site more accessible as his Eagle Scout project.

“Much of the work was done in the chilly rain,” Greene wrote in her letter. “Devak’s leadership abilities to articulate the mission and boost team morale, combined with the obvious respect his team had for him, drove the project nicely to completion despite the rain. He was a force for good, making a positive difference for others.”

Two other Durham students were selected for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship, including:

• Jacey Rylan Hilburn of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
• Amaris Jesam Iwara of Voyager Academy High School.

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