North Carolina State University Athletics
Rifle’s Derya Pekari a Finalist for Leader of the Pack Award
10/27/2017 4:27:00 PM | Rifle
NC State senior a candidate for prestigious honor
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State rifle senior Derya Pekari has been named a finalist for the university's prestigious Leader of the Pack Award, which recognizes students who make outstanding contributions to NC State in the areas of leadership, scholarship and community service.
The Leader of the Pack finalists will be recognized at the Homecoming football game against Clemson on Saturday, November 4, 2017. The Leader of the Pack scholarship recipient will receive a $3,000 scholarship and a class ring.
"Derya's a very well rounded young lady and I'm so proud of her," said head coach Keith Miller. "She's a great teammate and an excellent student and it's nice for her to be a finalist for this prestigious honor."
Finalists for the honor are selected based on a combination of written essays on their leadership and service experience, co-curricular involvement, a personal interview, grade point average, and a student-body vote.
Pekari is a senior member of the Wolfpack rifle team where she has helped the team rank ninth in the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA). The Rota, Spain, native was a 2016 All-Southeastern Air Rifle Conference (SEARC) Team selection and was also a scholar-athlete by the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC).
As a sophomore, Pekari charted career highs in air rifle (590) and smallbore (576) en route to claiming CRCA Scholastic All-America honors.
NC State student-athletes have a recent history of success with the award, as cheerleader Mickayla Raleigh captured the honor in 2015 and Ashley Eli from the women's basketball team was the 2014 recipient.
Voting for NC State students opens Monday, October 30, at 8 a.m. Click HERE to vote.
Pekari's Leader of the Pack Bio
"I moved to Raleigh, N.C., for my undergraduate career from Rota, Spain. A dependent of active duty military, I have lived all over the United States and overseas. I am the Co-Captain of the NC State Rifle Team and have found a home in NC State Athletics. I have served on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee for three years, and have been on the executive board for two. I have the privilege of helping organize volunteer opportunities and community outreach for NC State Athletics. Despite falling in love with Raleigh, I cannot shake the desire to travel and serve my country. After I graduate in May 2018 with a major in Communication Media and minors in Spanish, English, and Journalism, I plan on becoming an officer in the U.S. Navy. I have my eyes set on the skies and am in the process of applying to become a naval aviator."
The Leader of the Pack finalists will be recognized at the Homecoming football game against Clemson on Saturday, November 4, 2017. The Leader of the Pack scholarship recipient will receive a $3,000 scholarship and a class ring.
"Derya's a very well rounded young lady and I'm so proud of her," said head coach Keith Miller. "She's a great teammate and an excellent student and it's nice for her to be a finalist for this prestigious honor."
Finalists for the honor are selected based on a combination of written essays on their leadership and service experience, co-curricular involvement, a personal interview, grade point average, and a student-body vote.
Pekari is a senior member of the Wolfpack rifle team where she has helped the team rank ninth in the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA). The Rota, Spain, native was a 2016 All-Southeastern Air Rifle Conference (SEARC) Team selection and was also a scholar-athlete by the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC).
As a sophomore, Pekari charted career highs in air rifle (590) and smallbore (576) en route to claiming CRCA Scholastic All-America honors.
NC State student-athletes have a recent history of success with the award, as cheerleader Mickayla Raleigh captured the honor in 2015 and Ashley Eli from the women's basketball team was the 2014 recipient.
Voting for NC State students opens Monday, October 30, at 8 a.m. Click HERE to vote.
Pekari's Leader of the Pack Bio
"I moved to Raleigh, N.C., for my undergraduate career from Rota, Spain. A dependent of active duty military, I have lived all over the United States and overseas. I am the Co-Captain of the NC State Rifle Team and have found a home in NC State Athletics. I have served on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee for three years, and have been on the executive board for two. I have the privilege of helping organize volunteer opportunities and community outreach for NC State Athletics. Despite falling in love with Raleigh, I cannot shake the desire to travel and serve my country. After I graduate in May 2018 with a major in Communication Media and minors in Spanish, English, and Journalism, I plan on becoming an officer in the U.S. Navy. I have my eyes set on the skies and am in the process of applying to become a naval aviator."
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