The Richard Lee Williams Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship
A scholarship established in loving memory.
The Richard Lee Williams Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship was created to honor the life of Rick, who passed away in 2022. This fund celebrates his strength, compassion, and belief in the power of education to change lives. While his loss is deeply felt, his legacy continues through the students this scholarship supports — future engineers with the drive to build better communities and brighter futures.
At its heart, this scholarship is about opportunity. It exists to lift up students pursuing a degree in engineering at NC State who may face financial barriers, who come from underrepresented backgrounds, and who have roots in rural North Carolina. By investing in these students, we carry forward Rick’s spirit of perseverance, hope, and service to others.
Purpose of the
Scholarship
Engineering shapes the world around us, and the most meaningful solutions come from people with diverse perspectives and lived experiences. The Richard Lee Williams Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship helps expand access to engineering education for students who are too often overlooked or under-resourced — particularly those from rural towns and counties across North Carolina.
This scholarship ensures that talented students can pursue engineering not only for personal success, but to bring knowledge, innovation, and opportunity back to the communities that raised them.
Past Scholarship Winners
Alex Johnson
Degree
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Alex Smith
Degree
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Emily Johnson
Degree
Bachelor of Science in Engineering