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Cohort 7

Jurisdiction: Town of Pleasant Garden

University: UNC Greensboro

Hometown: Asheboro, NC

Abigail Valdez-Perez is the Lead for North Carolina Fellow serving the Town of Pleasant Garden. She is a summa cum laude graduate of UNC Greensboro, where she earned dual BAs in Political Science and Sociology. On campus, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, one of the most prestigious honor societies, and served in a range of leadership roles, including President of Pi Sigma Alpha and Vice President of Corazon Folklorico. Her commitment to service and student success was evident in her work as a student advisor in the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, a peer academic leader, and a CHANCE mentor supporting Latinx high school students on their path to higher education. She also co-authored academic research at UNCG and was selected to participate in the Chancellor’s Statewide VIP Initiative, where she represented student stories of academic access to the UNC Board of Governors. Her passion for serving underrepresented communities fuels her dedication to creating more equitable, community-centered solutions in local government.

October 6, 2026

COLUMBUS— The Town of Columbus is welcoming a new team member this summer through a statewide program designed to bring fresh talent into local government. Isa Gandy, a graduate of…

September 6, 2026

 This July, the eighth cohort of Lead for North Carolina Fellows arrived at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to begin their journey into public sector careers. After…

August 24, 2026

This July four Western Carolina University graduates were chosen to serve communities across the state as Lead for North Carolina fellows. Lead for NC is a government fellowship program started…

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