Four UNC-Chapel Hill students have been awarded the prestigious Harvey Beech Scholarship.
Harvey Elliot Beech was one of the first four African-American students admitted to UNC, and was the first to graduate by receiving his degree in 1952. His eponymous scholarship has been awarded to students exemplifying community leadership, academic excellence and expressed financial need since 1989.
“These four students have worked tirelessly within the UNC community on campus and beyond,” said Aubree Broadwater, the Harvey Beech Scholarship Liaison from UNC Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. “This scholarship recognizes their growth and commitment to leadership, service and academics. We are confident that they will continue to do much more in the future.”
Vanessa Cross, a junior from Stuart, Fla., majors in Afro-American studies with a double minor in history and African studies. Cross has volunteered at the UNC Hospitals Dental Clinic and the UNC Children’s Hospital. She also served as model coordinator for UNC’s only competitive modeling troupe, Concept of Colors. This summer, Cross will travel to Accra, Ghana, to intern at a dental clinic. She will also conduct research on issues related to access to dental healthcare in third-world countries and work with a dental nonprofit organization to find solutions to the issues. It is her goal to become a dentist, then start a nonprofit organization in Ghana that will provide dental healthcare and oral education to people in need.
Malik Dancy is a junior from Raleigh studying biology, with a minor in chemistry and Spanish (pre-med track). Dancy has been involved in several campus organizations, including the Carolina Union Activities Board (CUAB), the Black Student Movement and Minority Men in Medicine. He also serves as a minority adviser for incoming first-year students. Dancy’s most notable contribution to campus was his position as the performing arts chairperson for CUAB. CUAB hosted several performing arts events on campus, ranging from spoken-word poetry and dance showcases to the homecoming concert featuring rapper J. Cole.
Dylane’ Davis is a sophomore from Fayetteville, N.C., by way of Los Angeles. She is a global studies major with a concentration in global health and environment with Latin American concentration. She is also pursuing a minor in chemistry. After graduation, she plans to take a gap year to work with a medical nonprofit abroad before attending medical school to become an emergency room physician. Davis serves on the executive board of Uhuru Child, is a competitive gymnast on the UNC club gymnastics team, a mentor and tutor with Communiversity, volunteer manager for Healthy Girls Save the World and a minority adviser for three first-year students.
Brandon Neely, a junior from Gastonia, N.C., majoring in in global studies, is the programs and facilities coordinator for the Minority Student Recruitment Committee, a resident adviser and the Black Student Movement Alternative Spring Break president. He has spent a great deal of time volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity and as an in-class assistant at Parkwood Elementary School. He is the recent recipient of the Frances L. Phillips Scholarship, which will grant him funds to travel abroad this summer. Upon graduation in 2014, Neely plans to enter graduate school for student affairs and higher education.
The Harvey Beech Scholarship review process is managed by Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (DMA). A unit of the Office of the Provost, DMA develops programs and initiatives and provides university-wide leadership to promote diversity, access and inclusion at Carolina—serving students, faculty, staff, alumni and the surrounding communities. This is achieved through connections between campus partners and DMA operating areas: the Carolina Latina/o Collaborative, Diversity Education, Diversity Research & Assessment, Inclusive Student Excellence and Diversity Initiatives.
“This year, applications more than doubled and the caliber of students applying for the Harvey Beech Scholarship was impressive,” said Marco Barker, senior director for education, operations, and initiatives for DMA. “This scholarship showcases the academic and personal resiliency, talents and accomplishments of Carolina students, which is symbolic of Harvey Beech’s legacy.”
