Introduction!
My name is Reagan Mauk, and I am the new AIG Specialist for Laney High School. I have worked in the district for over 13 years with the last 9 years spent as a middle school AIG specialist. I am thrilled to be joining the team! I will be serving both New Hanover and Laney High Schools just like Ms. Jeffrey did. I am reaching out as I begin this move to open lines of communication with students and families. During the month of October, I will be transitioning from my current position at Myrtle Grove Middle School to the high schools. For this reason, I will only be on campus in the mornings until I am fully transitioned to the high school position. I will be at Laney on Mondays and Tuesdays each week and every other Friday.
This is the weekly AIG update. A concerted effort is made to send one each week either on Sunday or Monday of the current week. Students and families will both receive the newsletter. This will rarely include general school updates so please continue to pay attention to weekly Laney emails and phone calls. Please let me know if you would like me to use a different email address or add an additional family member to the mailing list. I appreciate your patience with this week's late update!
My experience in the county will make this transition easier, but I still have a lot to learn so I appreciate your patience and grace with any stumbles I make in the beginning. If you need immediate assistance, please email me so we can set up a time to meet. reagan.mauk@nhcs.net
Azalea Festival Youth Committee
AFYC (Azalea Festival Youth Committee): The Azalea Festival Youth Committee “AFYC” is a leadership organization for local high school students in Brunswick, Pender, and New Hanover Counties. The Azalea Festival Youth Committee develops a sense of community across different schools, as well as organizational, teamwork and leadership skills that make this program a success.
We develop future leaders of the community by supporting the mission of the North Carolina Azalea Festival.
AFYC supports the North Carolina Azalea Festival year-round by volunteering and fundraising. While AFYC members are busy volunteering during Festival week in April, they also get to take time to attend the Queen’s Coronation as special guests, hangout at the Concerts, and have way more behind-the-scenes fun than anyone else.
SIGN UP BELOW TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING AFYC EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES.
*Signing up below does not commit you to joining AFYC.
VOLUNTEER: Fort Fisher Aquarium
Students involved in the year-round program are expected to volunteer 8 hours/month for 6 consecutive months, yet have the flexibility of creating their own schedule. This program is recommended for those with busy school, work or sports schedules, out-of-town students, and local students seeking year-round volunteer opportunities. (Ages 14-17)
Application and more information HERE.
Coolidge Scholarship: FULL RIDE! 11th grade only!
The 2024-25 Coolidge Scholarship application is now live. We hope that you might share this opportunity with any well-qualified high school juniors you know.
A quick refresher: the Coolidge Scholarship is a full-ride, four-year, merit scholarship that recipients may use for undergraduate study at any accredited college or university in the United States. Any high school junior who plans to enroll in college in the fall of 2026 and is an American citizen or legal permanent resident is eligible to apply (current high school seniors are not eligible to apply). Winners may use the scholarship to pursue any academic major.
Academic excellence is the primary criterion considered by the Coolidge Scholarship. Secondary criteria include an interest in public policy and an appreciation of the values President Coolidge championed. Successful candidates will also demonstrate humility and have a record of genuine service to their communities. A complete description of the scholarship’s criteria is available here.
The competition for the Coolidge Scholarship is significant -- only a few new Coolidge Scholarships are awarded each year from a pool of candidates that spans the entire country. Even so, students have reported to us in past years they were glad to have applied even if they didn’t win, because the experience helped prepare them for college applications later on. Furthermore, the Coolidge Foundation invites one hundred of the top Coolidge Scholarship applicants to participate in the Coolidge Senators Program, which includes an all-expenses-paid summit gathering and a $1,000 scholarship. Scholarship applicants are automatically considered for the Senators Program.
We hope you will share this opportunity with outstanding high school juniors you know. The scholarship application, along with additional information, can be accessed on our scholarship site: coolidgescholars.org. The submission deadline is 5:00 PM Pacific time, Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Please note that the deadline is earlier this year than in past years. Questions? We can be reached by email at coolidgescholars@coolidgefund.org or by phone at (202) 827-4291.
Free College Application Night: October 19th, 4-6:30. Main Library
Need help completing college applications? College Application Week, the week when many North Carolina colleges and universities waive their application fees, is the week of October 16.
Join us at the Main Library on Thursday, October 19 to complete your college applications and residency with the support of admissions professionals!
Representatives from Cape Fear Community College, UNC Wilmington, and CFNC will be on hand to assist with applications.
STOCKHOLM JUNIOR WATER PRIZE: NEW EQUIPMENT ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM!
WEF is partnering with HACH for a second year to support student access to research opportunities: interested high school students may apply for a grant of HACH water quality testing equipment . These grants are awarded on the basis of a student's need and interest in creating and submitting a water science research project to the 2025 USA Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition.
Stockholm Junior Water Prize is a competition for students aged 15 to 20 who have developed research projects that can help solve major water challenges. The competition attracts tens of thousands of entries from approximately 35 countries.
A simple grant application form is live on the SJWP Webpage and will be reviewed by Water Environment Federation and HACH. This effort is aimed at increasing equity among high school students who are interested in water quality research. This year's application period will be until October 25th, with winners contacted by the end of November.
You can find the details from last year's contest here. While this year's updates aren't posted I would expect very little to change so the NC State Water Prize Competition entries are likely due by April 15th.
US Senate Youth Program (11th & 12th): Deadline October 6th, 2024
US Senate Youth Program and Scholarship (11th & 12th): Week in Washington DC (March 1-8), 2 winners in NC, $10,000 scholarship
The U.S. Senate Youth Program is merit-based and highly competitive. Qualified junior or senior high school students applying to the program must show evidence of demonstrated leadership through public service in elected or appointed positions where they currently and actively represent a constituency in organizations that relate to government, public affairs, history, and/or community service. Qualifying students MUST currently represent their peers or a constituency for the entire academic year. Each student must be enrolled in high school and live the entire school year in the state they will represent. Students who apply MUST be elected or appointed leaders and actively participate in public service with school or community civic-related activities. Students MUST also be able to show a history of service and participation in service activities.
- In North Carolina, two student delegates and two alternates will be selected by a state-level committee. The two winning delegates will represent North Carolina in an intensive educational program during a week-long experience in Washington, D.C., in March. The two winning delegates will also be awarded a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship to pursue coursework in history and political science. To receive the scholarship, winners MUST attend the entire Washington Week activity. This year's week-long Washington Week education experience will be from March 1–8, 2025.
Reagan Mauk
Email: reagan.mauk@nhcs.net
Website: Laney/NHHS AIG Website
Laney Office: 910-350-2089 room 401
New Hanover Office: 910-251-6100 room 509