Investing in the Future

Defining a Bold Future

A message from the MCSF Chair

**Phil Berney ’86**
Chair, Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board
Ex Officio Trustee, Morehead-Cain Foundation

Dear Friends,

I have the honor of writing to you as the chair of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board. I am thrilled to reflect on the momentous and inspiring academic year of 2021–2022. It was a year full of new beginnings and wonderful successes. The Morehead-Cain Scholarship Program and the community are stronger than ever—and we have our scholars, staff, alumni, and friends to thank for making this possible.

For the first time in the history of UNC–Chapel Hill, three students won a Rhodes Scholarship in the same academic year, and all three are Morehead-Cains. This is phenomenal! Congratulations to Justin Hadad ’21, Kimathi Muiruri ’21, and Takhona Hlatshwako ’22 for earning this well-deserved recognition.

In identifying promising young leaders, we had another stellar year. From an initial pool of 2,300 applicants, we enrolled 75 outstanding scholars in the class of 2026, hailing from 13 counties in North Carolina, 19 U.S. states and territories, and five countries.

As you have hopefully experienced firsthand, alumni engagement is now a cornerstone of Morehead-Cain. The Foundation’s staff does a wonderful job of connecting our community through events, workshops, and gatherings and encouraging scholars to participate as well.

Another measure of an engaged community is the percentage of alumni who make a gift to our annual fund each year. This past year, which concluded on June 30, 55 percent of the alumni community supported the Program financially. This is the sixth consecutive year at or above 50 percent and the second consecutive year at or above 55 percent. Reaching this level of participation is truly best in class.

In closing, I want to thank you for warmly welcoming Chris Bradford and his family into the Morehead-Cain community. As most of you know, Chris and his wife Genevieve moved to Chapel Hill from Johannesburg, South Africa, to take this job. It was a big move, but one made easier by all the small and large ways you have made them feel at home. Year one for Chris was full of first-time events for him: Check Day, Fall Banquet, Senior Dinner, and of course, sending Coach K into retirement and rushing Franklin Street. If you have not met Chris yet, I hope you will have that opportunity in the year ahead as we define a bold future for the Program.

Thank you for choosing to engage with Morehead-Cain. I hope it is as joyful an experience for you as it is for me.

With gratitude,

Phil Berney ’86

Chair, Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board

Ex Officio Trustee, Morehead-Cain Foundation

Facts and Stats

55%

overall alumni giving participation in FY22

How to Give

Learn How >

Article: About the Morehead-Cain Annual Fund: Frequently Asked Questions

Looking Ahead

We are excited to build on the work from the past year, focusing on four priorities driven by our community commitments:

Improve Accessibility

We will improve accessibility within the Foundation. Far beyond compliance, we are committed to making our spaces a model for inclusion.

Foster
Civil Discourse

We will foster civil discourse. We live in an increasingly polarized world. Morehead-Cain Scholars must continually build skills of listening, inquiry, and dialogue to take on the most critical issues of our time.

Remove Barriers

We will further investigate the barriers that students in rural areas of North Carolina face when participating in our selection process. Rural students are far less likely to be successful in our selection process than urban or suburban peers of similar backgrounds.

Maximize Network

We will continue to ask how we might use our extraordinary network to benefit the University and the world. We will experiment with ideas, share know-how, and use our position to create a positive impact.

The year ahead will be filled with new learning for our community. We look forward to sharing updates, receiving feedback, and coming together to create flourishing communities across our University, state, nation, and world.