Be an NCBA Star Student – Get Good Grades, Get Involved, Give Back
Since 1984, the NC Bankers Association Foundation has awarded nearly $1.5 million in college scholarship funds to more than 120 high school seniors with a parent employed by an NCBA member bank. Last year’s recipients were Anna Holt Basinger of New Hanover High School in Wilmington, now in her freshman year at the University of Virginia; and Jefferson’s Lane Miller, an Ashe County High School graduate in his first year at Duke University. This year’s scholarship application is available online.
As we kickoff the 2025 scholarship season, we look back at the 2024 finalists in our Star Student Spotlight. This week John Sullivan, Senior Director of the Future Bank Leaders Program, spoke with Princeton High School graduate Kaydon Roberson; a freshman member of the softball team at Meredith College, planning to major in Exercise and Sports Science. She is the daughter of Doug Roberson, Commercial Credit Team Leader at Truist Bank in Smithfield.
John Sullivan: In high school you had a 4.0 GPA, were ranked third in your class, played varsity volleyball, basketball and softball all four years, plus volunteered and held a job. I bet you’ve got some great time management tips.
Kaydon Roberson: Yes. Get organized. Don’t procrastinate. Do things right away. When I have a project or assignment I lock myself in my room and knock it out. Of course, I can’t say I’ve done that every single time, but it helps to get things done as soon as you can, especially if you travel a lot for sports.
JS: If you could give your middle school self advice, what would it be?
KR: Don’t stress too much. You don’t have to be a perfectionist. It’s ok to mess up every now and then. That’s life. I used to be really hard on myself, but I’ve gotten a lot better about that.
JS: You’re now at Meredith, what’s the best part of college?
KR: I’m excited about playing softball, of course, but also really just enjoying making new friends.
JS: You suffered a knee injury playing softball in high school that changed your outlook on the future. Tell us about that experience.
KR: At first,I worried about recovering and falling behind physically, but by not playing I learned a valuable lesson: how to be a better, more supportive teammate. That’s really important. The other great thing that happened is, when I started rehabbing my knee I had a wonderful physical therapist. Not only did he help my knee get better, but we had these wonderful conversations. We talked about so much, including our faith and spirituality, the important things. That opened my eyes to what I want to do in life.
JS: That’s awesome. So…what do you want to do in life?
KR: Help others. Be a physical therapist. Have a family, maybe coach a youth softball team.
JS: Time for the Rapid Response Round. First question is a dumb question. Favorite sport?
KR: Softball.
JS: Lucky number?
KR: 12, because my dad wore 12. His dad wore 12 and so did my brother. It’s just a family number.
JS: What social media platform do you spend the most time on?
KR: TikTok.
JS: Cat or dog?
KR: Dog. We have labs.
JS: Beach or mountains?
KR: Beach.
JS: Read a story or write a story?
KR: Write a story.
JS: New York City or Los Angeles?
KR: New York City.
JS: Which scares you the most, public speaking or going to the dentist?
KR: Public speaking. No matter how much I prepare, I always get tongue tied.
JS: Why?
KR: I’m not sure. It just feels like everyone is looking into my soul.
JS: What would you like people to know about you that they might not?
KR: I have a big heart. I would literally give you the shirt off my back.
Author: sdbrownlow
Student of Design