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Murphy – Go the Extra Mile Today celebrated their 13th year of local scholarship recipients of the Extra Mile Scholarship, and their first year as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on April 30.
The local 2025 recipients are:
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Luisa Edwards of Andrews High School, who will be attending nearby Young Harris (Ga.) College;
Cecilia Constantino Mendoza of Hayesville High School, who will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;
Addison Stiles of Hiwassee Dam High School, who will be attending Tri-County Community College in Peachtree;
Raegan Curtis of Murphy High School, who will be attending Western Carolina University;
Bryce Adams of Robbinsville High School, who will be attending Central Piedmont Community College.
“These students exemplify perseverance, leadership and heart. Each of these extraordinary students has overcome challenges, shown strength and continued
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pushing forward,” said Steven Aft, who coordinates the local scholarship program through his State Farm Insurance office.
“They are living examples of what it means to go the extra mile, and we could not be prouder. We look forward to seeing the future they build and the impact they will continue to make,”
The event is a way to celebrate these students as important members of their community. Dragon Ass BBQ catered the event for the second year in a row, Ingles of Murphy donates a cake each year and First United Methodist Church provides chairs and tables.
“We couldn’t do this each year without the support of these businesses and the community,” said Mary Jo Dyre, marketing director at Steven Aft State Farm.
Members of the community can help by donating through the nonprofit’s website or by mailing checks to Go the Extra Mile Today, P.O. Box 279, Murphy, NC 28906.
Since 2013, the Extra Mile Award has recognized a senior from Murphy, Hayesville, Andrews, Robbinsville and Hiwassee Dam high schools who demonstrates a combination of perseverance through adversity and academic excellence throughout their high school career. The Extra Mile Scholarship Committee selects each winner to receive a one-time $500 scholarship.
Go the Extra Mile is a newly formed non-profit organization committed to empowering the youth of the community and breaking down barriers to success. Their mission is to provide essential resources and opportunities to youth in the community.
Two of their main initiatives are the Extra Mile Award Scholarship and Extra Mile Shoe Fund, both of which are aimed at helping young people who have faced adversity so they can reach their full potential.
“We’re super excited that we’ve had our first full year as a non-profit. It’s really fanned our flame, and we hope in the future to meet our goals of giving more and doing bigger scholarships. We want to do more for kids and students in general,” Dyer said.
Details: Visit gotheextramiletoday.org.