Kathryn “Kate” R. Pearson was recently informed that she was named one of the 14 recipients of the Benjamin N. Duke Scholarship to Duke University. This scholarship provides a "full ride" to Duke as well as two summer experiences and is highly competitive. Pearson, 18, is a senior at West Johnston High School, where she is a four year All-Conference swimmer on the swim team, the vice-president of the Interact Club and historian of the National Honor Society. She is also a National Merit Finalist and an AP Scholar with Honors. Outside of school, Pearson is an accomplished violinist who serves as the Assistant Principal of Second Violins in the

Raleigh Symphony Orchestra, the Concertmaster of the Garner Sinfonia Orchestra, and the winner

of several symphony concerto competitions. Last summer, she was picked to represent North Carolina

at the Kennedy Center/National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute in Washington, D.C. on

a full scholarship. She is a member of Centenary United Methodist Church in Smithfield, the Healthquest Gold Sharks year-round swim team and frequently performs on the Music For The Lunch Bunch summer series. This summer she will be a counselor at the Lamar Stringfield Chamber Music Camp at Meredith. She is the daughter of Rob and Nancy Pearson of Smithfield .

The B.N. Duke Scholarship is inclusive of the full cost of tuition, mandatory fees and the weighted average for room and board for eight semesters at Duke. This amount is currently estimated to be $52,172 for the upcoming 2010-2011 academic year. The B. N. Duke Scholarship also provides funding for two summer experiences, one within the Carolinas and one abroad. The total value of a B. N. Duke Scholarship exceeds $200,000 over the course of eight semesters, and is renewable for four years so long as students maintain the requirements of the scholarship.

As a B. N. Duke Scholar, Pearson will also participate in a number of special programs designed to further develop leadership skills and commitment to service.