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Charlie Dockendorf wins Morehead-Cain scholarship

Charlie Dockendorf

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 1, 2025

A high school senior who grew up in Flat Rock will attend UNC at Chapel Hill on a Morehead-Cain scholarship, one of the most prestigious full-ride merit-based grants in the U.S.
Charles Burkhardt "Charlie" Dockendorf will graduate this spring from Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, Colorado, where he serves as student body co-president, an upper-class dorm leader and a wilderness leader.
A voracious reader, Charlie has created his own independent study course, American Literature Literary Theory, which analyzes acclaimed novels and their place in the American canon. Outside the classroom, Charlie is a lover of the outdoors, where he competes in whitewater kayaking slalom, big mountain skiing, and cross-country mountain biking. He spends his summers helping lead multi-day backpacking trips, teaching whitewater kayaking to kids, and making bouquets at the local flower shop. Charlie plans to study English literature and Chinese at Carolina. 
He is the son of Jane and John Dockendorf of Flat Rock.

Charlies is one of seventy-five scholars representing 22-North Carolina counties and nineteen U.S. states and territories. They are from six countries and were nominated by schools in eight countries. Their academic interests range from biology and political science to literature, languages and the arts.

The process of selecting the new class occurs over the course of six months and includes application review, virtual and in-person interviews and other activities. The selection process relies on the expertise of Foundation staff and hundreds of alumni interviewers and volunteer evaluators. Candidates enter the process via nomination, either from their school or on their own.

“At a time in which bold and ethical leadership is required across our global society, we welcome the Morehead-Cain Class of 2029 with a moment of celebration and a call to action,” said Chris Bradford, president of the Morehead-Cain Foundation. “These scholars were selected for their intellect and moral force of character, and we recognize their potential to lead lives of purpose and impact. In joining Morehead-Cain, they embrace a lifelong commitment to strengthening our University, state, nation, and world.” 

Since its founding in 1945, the Morehead-Cain Program has been a model for countless merit scholarships throughout the United States and across the world, including the U.Va.'s Jefferson Scholars Program, Duke’s Benjamin N. Duke Scholars Program and Emory University’s Woodruff Scholars Program.