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Cohort 1

Jurisdiction: Kinston

University: UNC-Chapel Hill

Hometown: Raleigh, NC

Sarah led the Downtown Kinston Mural Program, a public art initiative funded by a $100,000 NEA Our Town Grant; the grant involved the creation of seven unique, outdoor public murals intended to enhance connectivity between cultural and economic assets in Kinston’s city center. Two of the murals honor Kinston’s Civil Rights heroes and will contribute to the ongoing community conversations about social justice. Additionally, she created Kinston 101, the city’s first citizen academy. The program had 40 citizens participate in the inaugural class. The curriculum helped citizens gain better access to their leaders.

Arney earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and public policy from UNC-Chapel Hill. As an undergraduate, she was a Carolina Scholar and a Buckley Public Service Scholar. She also collaborated with the Community Empowerment Fund, assisting community members in achieving their goals related to housing, employment, and financial independence. This experience taught her about trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and Housing First principles to navigate Orange County resources.

June 18, 2025

In August 2024, Paloma Garcia-Serrano stepped into the Foothills Regional Commission for her first day of work as a Lead for North Carolina Fellow. Lead for NC is a leadership development program…

June 11, 2025

Written by: Skye Allan (Lead for North Carolina Cohort 3 Alum) In small towns held together by close ties and limited resources, projects and initiatives succeed or fail based on…

April 14, 2025

After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill and NC State University in 2024, Kristy Nguyen and Anu Mishra were selected to be part of a unique local government fellowship program based…

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