Distinguished Goodnight Award recipients for 2020 announced

Seniors Oscar Molina ‘T19 and Gracie Hornsby ’20 are the 8th and 9th recipients of this prestigious community award.

The Distinguished Goodnight Award is presented at the end of the academic year to the undergraduate Goodnight Scholar who best embodied the core values and mission of the Goodnight Scholars Program through significant involvement in the Goodnight Scholars and NC State communities, along with a dedication to professional development, civic engagement, and scholastic achievement.

With the Goodnight Scholars Program set to graduate its first transfer cohort this spring, a decision was made to select two recipients of the Distinguished Goodnight Award representing the traditional and transfer cohorts.

This year, the Distinguished Goodnight Award goes to Oscar Molina and Gracie Hornsby.

Oscar Molina of the Transfer Class of 2019 will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Bachelor of Science in Economics. Within the Goodnight Scholars community, Oscar served as a STEM coach, mentor, and member of the Service Raleigh Web Committee. On-campus, Oscar was a Computer Science ambassador, member of the AI Club, and participant in LeaderShape. Within the Triangle community, Oscar was a STEM promoter with the North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals and a volunteer at the Green Chair Project. He completed research in Dr. Heckman’s Lab and held an internship at Deutsche Bank. After graduation, Oscar will work as a technology analyst at Deutsche Bank.

Gracie Hornsby of the Class of 2020 will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, received Dean’s List honors every semester, and was selected as the College of Engineering Faculty Senior Scholar. On-campus, Gracie served as the vice president and founding member of the Global Water Sanitation and Hygiene Student Chapter, and was a member of Engineers Without Borders Guatemala Water Systems International Project Team, the University Scholars Program, Social Innovation Fellows program, Summit College Student Ministry. She was also a frequent visitor of the NC State rock wall. Within the Goodnight Scholars Program, Gracie was a retreat leader, mentor, ambassador, chaired the Senior Legacy Committee and was co-chair of the Shack-a-thon Committee for two years. Outside of campus, Gracie was a member of the Harris Research Lab where she conducted water quality research in North Carolina, Uganda and Kenya. Gracie also served as a civil/environmental engineering intern at AECOM and a consulting engineer with the Circle of Women for Social Action and Mutual Aid in Yaounde. After graduation, Gracie will pursue her Ph.D in Environmental Engineering with a focus in Human Health and Environment as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University.

The Goodnight Scholars Program is proud to recognize Oscar and Gracie for their impact on the community through mentorship, leadership, and outreach. They set an example for what engagement means in the Goodnight Scholars Program and serve as role models for younger scholars who aspire to take on leadership in the community.

Past Distinguished Goodnight Award recipients include:

• Aalia Shariff, Class of 2019
• Carl Jenkins, Class of 2017/18
• Katie Almasy, Class of 2017
• Kaleb Morrow, Class of 2018
• Grayson Walker, Class of 2015/17
• Jeb Smith & Kelsie Gardner (co-recipients), Class of 2016 & Class of 2017

Photography credit: Alex McNeilly/EMAS Communications, Jason Perry/Goodnight Scholars Program

This post was originally published in Goodnight Scholars Program.