Celebrating its fifth year, the historic Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship returns with a $9,000 award, the largest to date. 

The scholarship endowment, established specifically for North Edgecombe High School students at the North Carolina Community Foundation, is awarded annually to a graduating senior. The one-time, non-renewable scholarship is paid directly to the scholarship winner’s college or university. North Edgecombe seniors can apply for the scholarship between Feb. 2, 2026, and March 31, 2026. 

The scholarship endowment was established in 2021 by North Edgecombe alumni and cousins Jamaal D. Pittman (Valedictorian, class of 1999) and Linwood E. Hinton (Honors, class of 2008). It was named in honor their late great-aunts (and great-great aunts), two sisters who lived just a few miles away from North Edgecombe and raised three generations of children who went on to become proud NEHS graduates. Despite coming from humble beginnings and not receiving the formal education they deserved, the sisters devoted their lives to ensuring the children in their family had access to education and opportunities.

The scholarship is open to current seniors at North Edgecombe High School who plan to enroll in a two- or four-year college. The students must have a grade point average of at least 2.5, complete an application and provide evidence of leadership and service in their school or community.  

The 2025 scholarship recipient, Jocelyn Hernandez Jimenez, is currently completing her first year as a studio arts and pre-business major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.   

“The Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Scholarship truly changed my path to the college dream. It made the start of my college journey easier and lightened the tension of feeling worried about financial stability for college,” said Hernandez Jimenez. “I encourage all students to apply.” 

The scholarship endowment is professionally managed and invested by the North Carolina Community Foundation and designed to provide permanent scholarship support to North Edgecombe High School students.  

Students should visit their counselor for an application, and donors are welcome to make a tax-deductible contribution to the fund. For more information about the scholarship, visit www.WheelerScholarship.com.  

About the North Carolina Community Foundation

The North Carolina Community Foundation transforms the collective generosity of our donors into a permanent source of community support, with a focus on the state’s rural areas.       

NCCF partners with donors and a network of affiliates to sustain over 1,300 endowments totaling nearly $570 million in assets. More than $338 million has been awarded as grants to charitable organizations and scholarships to students, creating stronger communities for generations to come.