As part of Kohl’s department stores’ Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program, sixty youth from North Carolina have each received a $50 gift card and recognition certificate to honor their community service efforts.

These winners will qualify for the chance to receive a $1,000 regional scholarship for post-secondary education. Of the more than 200 regional winners, 10 national winners will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each national winner’s behalf.

The store winners from our area are: Kara Adams, 12, of Apex; Victoria Adorian, 11, of Fuquay-Varina; Ive Jones, 9, of Apex; and Paige Shaffer, 17, Apex.

Apex and Cary IHOPs to participate in promotion to benefit Easter Seals UCP

Five area IHOP locations, including Beaver Creek in Apex and Kildaire Farm in Cary, will participate in a hangtag promotion to benefit Easter Seals UCP North Carolina and Virginia until August 1. During this period, diners may make a $1 donation and receive a $1 off coupon or a $5 donation and receive a free short stack on their next visit to the participating restaurant. Hang tags will be displayed throughout the restaurants to mark each donation received. The money raised through this promotion will benefit Easter Seals UCP’s programs and services that help children with disabilities.

For details on the hangtag promotion, visit www.EastersealsUCP.com.

Three local high school students serve as House pages

Three local high school students recently served as pages for the N.C. House of Representatives. Pages help deliver bills and amendments for representatives during daily House sessions and committee meetings, offer assistance in individual representatives’ offices and run errands around the legislature.

•  Paula Crisp is the daughter of Phil and Cynthia Crisp of Cary. She is a student at Apex High School.

•  Shirley Marshall is the daughter of Kenneth and Cynthia Marshall of Cary. She is a student at Green Hope High School.

•  Aliya Ruffin is the daughter of Leroy and Donna Ruffin of Cary. She is a student at Apex High School.

Holly Springs High School graduate receives scholarships

Mitchell Brady, a recent graduate of Holly Springs High School, was awarded the Gold National Scholarship, the Gold Scholar Award, the Undergraduate Research Scholarship, the University Honors Program Scholarship and a National Merit Finalist Scholarship from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He plans to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Five Cary students accepted into East Carolina University’s Honors College

Five students from Cary have been accepted into the Honors College at East Carolina University, an experience coupled with a renewable scholarship covering the cost of in-state tuition for up to four years. The students accepted are: Meghan Boop, graduate of Panther Creek High School; Jordan Colston, graduate of Athens Drive Senior High School; Rachel Lockyer, graduate of Cary Academy; Erin Mahoney, graduate of Green Hope High School and Morgan Shelor.

A total 110 students will enroll in the Honors College this fall, making it the largest class yet. They boast, on average, an unweighted GPA of 3.81, a 1270 SAT score and a 28.4 ACT score.

Compiled by staff writer Michelle Ferencak