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Division of Academic and Student Affairs 
Student Leadership and Engagement

Leader of the Pack

The Leader of the Pack program honors and recognizes students for outstanding contributions in leadership, scholarship, and service.

2023 Recipient of Leader of the Pack

Emma Budden, Leader of the Pack recipient in 2023, celebrates with her parents on the football field at Carter-Finley Stadium at halftime to receive the award and be recognized. (Photo: Shaun Deardorff)

Information and Application Details

What is Leader of the Pack?

This program has long been a tradition on campus, dating back to the 1990s. While initially known as the Homecoming King and Queen Competition, the award transitioned to a more inclusive and equitable process—removing the gendered structure and focusing on scholarship, leadership, a commitment to creating an inclusive campus community, and service to the campus and broader community.

Six students will be recognized as finalists, and the Leader of the Pack will be named at halftime of the Red and White Week game in Fall 2024..

September 18, 2024Application is Open!
October 7, 2024Application closes at 11:59 PM
October 11, 2024Semi-finalists selected
October 16, 2024Deadline for semi-finalist video submissions 11:59 PM
October 18, 2024Six finalists selected
October 21 & 22, 2024Finalist headshots
October 23 & 24, 2024Student body voting (getinvolved.ncsu.edu)
Week of October 21, 2024Finalist meeting (TBD) based on finalist schedules
November 1, 2024Finalists honored at Friday Night Floats (Location TBA)
November 2, 2024Leader of the Pack award recipient announced at Red & White Week Football Game
  • Six finalists will receive a ticket to the NC State vs. Stanford University football game on Saturday, November 2, 2024. Finalists will be recognized at halftime and attend the Chancellor’s pre-game reception.
  • The student finalist with the highest GPA will receive a $250 gift certificate from the NC State Bookstores.
  • The student designated as ‘The Leader of the Pack’ will also receive a $3,000 scholarship (to be applied during the Fall 2024 semester) and a class ring.

The following criteria must be met to be eligible for the Leader of the Pack scholarship:

  • Completed two semesters at NC State at the time of application
  • Enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at NC State
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
  • Free from academic integrity probation and any previous or current disciplinary probation

The process is cumulative and consists of multiple parts. Each qualified applicant will be evaluated on the following: 

  • Cumulative Grade point average 
  • Demonstrated leadership in co-curricular and community engagement 
  • Demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive campus community
  • Academic and conduct record check
  • 10-minute video submission response to provided questions. (Only finalists will submit.)

Meet your 2023 Leader of the Pack Finalists

Emma Grace Barnes

Emma Grace Barnes

Woo | Communication | Consistency | Positivity | Developer

Emma Grace Barnes is a fourth-year Park Scholar from Charlotte, NC, majoring in Biological Sciences, with a concentration in Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology and minoring in Social Work. During her time at NC State, she has worked with University Admissions, been a teaching assistant for Organic Chemistry, aided with the Krispy Kreme Challenge— recently becoming the Director of Sponsorships and Logistics, and participated in the Park Diversity Task Force, a team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the scholarship program. In 2021, she co-founded a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Lux Resources, with Catherine Carter, another NC State student. This organization directly supports survivors of sexual violence by providing legal resources. She is passionate about sexual violence justice and dismantling the stigma around surviving sexual violence. Additionally, she has had the opportunity to volunteer in health clinics in Peru, study and work with local companies in Australia, and learn about and immerse herself in French culture in France. She is soon going to Greece to volunteer in refugee health clinics. She currently works as a cardiology medical scribe, gathering clinical hours before applying to physician assistant school in a few years. 

Emma Grace Budden

Emma Budden

Input | Achiever | Developer | Harmony | Positivity

Emma Budden is a Goodnight Scholar from Cullowhee, North Carolina, majoring in Microbiology and Environmental Sciences in her third year. During her time at NC State, she attended an Alternative Service Break in Puerto Rico, where she volunteered to do hurricane disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and served as a team leader for ASB Dominican Republic, where she and her team built rainwater harvesting systems for the community of El Batey, and is leading ASB Peru, where she and her team will volunteer with the goal of establishing housing infrastructure to address poverty in the area. She has served as a Program Ambassador, Outreach Ambassador, and Communications Assistant for the Goodnight Scholars Program, where she connects NC State with prospective students across NC to make higher education more accessible for lower- and middle-income families while showcasing scholars’ talents, identities, and stories. Additionally, she has served as an Organic Chemistry Teaching Assistant, has been involved in undergraduate research at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Bonner Laboratory, and will begin research in the Knappe Laboratory. She studied abroad in Italy, analyzing the global implications of modern climate change, and she volunteers at UNC Rex Hospital and in the English Conversation Club at NC State. Emma is passionate about fostering equitable communities by addressing the needs of all, empowering others in developing their leadership strengths, and cultivating inclusivity at NC State and beyond. After graduation, Emma hopes to pursue her master’s in public health and work to implement effective water quality infrastructure in underserved communities worldwide. 

Kelis Johnson

Kelis Johnson

Analytical | Restorative | Futuristic | Relator | Achiever

Kelis Johnson is a 2022 Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service Recipient and Ronald E. McNair Scholar from Greensboro, North Carolina. She is a fourth-year student majoring in Africana Studies and Public Health with a focus on the Social Determinants of Health and minoring in Environmental Health. On campus, Kelis serves as an AYA ambassador within the African American Cultural Center and an Interdisciplinary Studies Ambassador within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Within both of these roles, she focuses on building inclusive communities for students through unique approaches with teams of her peers. She has previously served as the Volunteer Liaison and Director for the Black Students Board, Director of Community Outreach for F1RST- a first-generation student-led club, and mentor for Neighbor 2 Neighbor, a local nonprofit. In addition to being a research assistant with the Office of Undergraduate Research, Kelis is a frequent student volunteer within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. As a CDC John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholar and UNCF E.E. Just Biomedical Scholar, Kelis has conducted public health research at The Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University for the past two summers. Recently, she participated in an individual service trip focused on addressing health disparities and racial equity. Kelis strives to achieve health equity by building unique and inclusive communities for those who need it the most. Following graduation, Kelis will be transitioning into the next stage of her life, which includes traveling, graduate school, and defining self. 

Karina Seebaluk

Karina Seebaluck

Learner | Achiever | Developer | Strategic | Empathy

Raised by Mauritian parents in Wake Forest, NC, Karina Seebaluck is a second-semester senior majoring in Psychology and Spanish and minoring in Cognitive Science and Nonprofit Studies. Learning is a lifelong journey and her curiosity for knowledge and love for supporting others has spearheaded her path to opportunities in and out of the classroom. Throughout her time at NC State, Karina has served as a Resident Advisor, Psychology Peer Ambassador, JUNTOS Team Captain, Multicultural Student Symposium Mentor, Pride Symposium Mentor, undergraduate research assistant in two psychology labs, Scholarships Intern at the Triangle Community Foundation, and a Moore Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program Scholar at UNC Chapel Hill. Her psychological research in parent-child socialization and cross-cultural respect has been presented at several conferences, and she continues to work as an undergraduate research assistant in the Teen Health Lab, a TA for COM 466: Nonprofit Leadership, a Send a Kid to Camp Committee Chair for the Triangle Community Foundation, and a Clinic Assistant Intern at the Urban Ministries’ Open Door Clinic. Karina is passionate about helping others thrive, and wishes to use her career to create equitable and accessible mental health care for marginalized communities through both research and practice. She is excited to apply for Ph.D programs in Clinical Psychology upon graduating. 

Madeline Scott

Madeline Scott

Input | Adaptability | Intellection | Analytical | Responsibility

Madeline Scott is a third-year at NC State from Dunn, North Carolina. She is a member of the Park Scholarships program and prides herself in her commitment to leadership, scholarship, service, and character. As a participant, team lead, and course support specialist in the Alternative Service Break program, a scribe at Urban Ministries Open Door Clinic, and as the President of The Blood Connection at NCSU, she is a servant-leader dedicated to improving her community. Madeline majors in Genetics and consistently exemplifies a passion for learning and for sharing that passion with others, evidenced by her teaching assistant position in Molecular Genetics, her participation in the NC State STEM BUILD project, and her work in the Patisaul Lab. Following graduation, Madeline looks forward to applying to medical school and is passionate about accessible medical care. 

Junho Yu

Junho Yu

Input | Ideation | Individualization | Deliberative

Born in Seoul, South Korea, and growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, Junho Yu is a fourth-year student studying Biological Sciences with a concentration in Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology and a minor in Teamwork in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research. During their time at NC State, they served as President of GLBTCA, a student organization dedicated to advancing equality and fostering unity among LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies within the campus community. Junho actively participated in the Pride Center student leadership cohort, led the Second Chance Prom executive committee, served as a CMI U-TEAM/NIH T-34 undergraduate research fellow, contributed as a mentor and coordinator within the LGBT Center of Raleigh’s Young Adult Leadership team, and volunteered with local hospitals. They also previously received the Bill Spitz Leadership Award for community contribution. Junho is passionate about their neurobiology research work in chronic itch and pain while advocating for diversity and equity in STEM and the campus community as an immigrant, first-generation college student. After graduation, Junho will be working in the healthcare industry while preparing to apply for medical school. 

Questions and Concerns

Please use the contact below or our office at leaderofthepack@ncsu.edu with the subject line “Leader of the Pack.”

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Adam Culley

Assistant Director

919-513-5087