Owen senior awarded prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship to UNC Chapel Hill
Jordan Robertson recognized for leadership and character, in and out of the classroom
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
March 25, 2026
Jordan Robertson, center, has been awarded the Morehead-Cain Scholarship for the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill class of 2030. The Owen senior is the fourth student from the school to earn the prestigious recognition since 2001. Photo by Fred McCormick
A lifelong natural curiosity accompanied Jordan Robertson to Owen, as a freshman, when she began her high school career. The Swannanoa native had ambitious, but simple goals: graduate at the top of the class of 2026 and continue her education at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
With just over a semester remaining in her senior year, she is currently on track to achieve the first objective, however, her pursuit to attend the college of her dreams has proven more successful than she imagined, as Robertson became only the fourth Owen student in the past 25 years to be awarded the Morehead-Cain Scholarship.
The fully funded four-year merit-based scholarship to Carolina was the first of its kind in the U.S., when established by John Motley Morehead III in 1951. The UNC graduate, who funded the construction of the planetarium that also bears his name, envisioned a program that would attract “bright young leaders” to his native state, which established the nation’s first public university nearly 240 years ago.
The fund was renamed the Morehead-Cain Scholarship in 2007, when the widow of Gordon A. Cain awarded a $100 million grant, intended to enhance the experiences offered by the foundation, in the name of her late husband.
Inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, Morehead-Cain seeks students who demonstrate leadership, moral force of character, academic achievement and physical vigor. The program covers the cost of tuition, fees, housing and meals at UNC, while offering four summer enrichment programs. Since its inception, 32 of the 36 Rhodes Scholars representing the Chapel Hill college have been Morehead-Cain Scholars, with 14 of them attending Oxford University since 2000.
Of the thousands of high school seniors who seek the scholarship each year, approximately 75 are selected. Morehead-Cain alumni include Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, judges, federal and state elected officials and executives.
A distinguished scholarship was not in the forefront of Robertson’s mind when she was carefully considering which high school she would attend. The former Black Mountain Primary, Elementary and Owen Middle Schools student was simply trying to make the “right” decision.
“I met Jordan when she was in the eighth grade and was trying to decide if she wanted to attend school here or (Nesbitt Discovery Academy),” said Tiffany Kinnaird, in her fifth year as one of three Owen counselors. “She actually initiated a meeting with me to talk about what opportunities we might have here and ways she could maximize all the classes we offer.”
In her role in student services, Kinnaird was immediately impressed with Robertson’s active role in her own education.
“Most kids come to high school, or even go on to college, not knowing what they want to do, and that is totally fine and normal, developmentally,” Kinnaird said. “But, Jordan had goals from the moment I met her. Supporting someone like her is easy, because she’s really good at long-range planning and outlining how she’s going to reach those goals.”
Robertson decided to attend her hometown school.
“I’ve always been a very community-minded person and I had such a strong group of friends and community that really supported me before high school,” said Robertson, who plays flute, piccolo and piano. “Part of that community was marching band, which I joined in my eighth grade year. Band has been such a core part of my life, and I felt like Owen could really help open up a lot of opportunities in many areas.”
She remained diligent in her studies, pursuing a rigorous academic course load with contemplative enthusiasm.
“I’ve always wanted to learn more, and high school really gave me a chance to kind of choose my own adventure, as far as what I wanted to learn,” she said. “I took an AP science class as a freshman and I got to see a human cadaver, which made me realize I’m really interested in medicine and that is something I want to learn more about.”
Feeling supported and encouraged in her small school, Robertson embraced opportunities to enhance her educational experience through extracurricular activities, including distance running, student government and the school’s Serve to Lead Club.
“This school being the size that it is, it may not have the course offerings of larger ones, but it really allows you to create opportunities for yourself,” she said. “Being in a smaller school, I’ve been able to do band and cross country, and be part of such a tight-knit community in each of those. It can definitely be hard balancing academics, sports, band and other things, but I also had teachers who knew me on a personal level and my friends and coaches. This school was the perfect place for me to grow into the person I wanted to become.”
One aspect of her personal growth and development involved pushing herself to succeed in three sports. Robertson finished her final cross country season, last fall, finishing 36th in the NCHSAA 3A Cross Country State Championship meet, before placing fourth in the 3,200 meter run and seventh in the 5,000 meter race in the indoor title meet. Her senior season of outdoor track and field has already included a personal record of 12:33.26, March 19, in the 3,200 meter race at the Pisgah Invitational.
Jordan Robertson meets with her Owen High School counselor Tiffany Kinnaird, as they discuss the opportunities created by the Morehead-Cain Scholarship. Photo by Fred McCormick
The sport also provided an additional connection to the Swannanoa Valley community, according to Robertson, who serves as the president of the student body.
“We needed a fundraiser for student government, and, coming from a rural community, we didn’t just want to ask for money,” she said. “This community loves to run, because every Saturday you see people out on the trails or on their long runs. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to plan a 5K.”
Robertson once again found herself in position to learn everything she could about another new subject, while organizing the first Warhorse Gallop 5K, as a sophomore.
“I was so naive going into it,” she said. “There is so much involved in planning a 5K, but my approach was just figure out the next steps and then figure out how to do those next steps. I worked with so many people from around our community, and everybody was so helpful.”
The process of establishing the race, which raised money for neighboring Black Mountain Home for Children and the Owen cross country program, required miles of running from Robertson, as she scouted possible courses. The event, hosted on the Owen and BMH campuses, featured more than 100 runners when it debuted in 2024 and over 250 last May. The Warhorse Gallop 5K, which is now organized by members of the cross country team, has raised approximately $12,000 in two years.
The fundraiser, designed to continue after the founder graduates in the summer, demonstrates the leadership and character that helped Robertson earn the Morehead-Cain Scholarship, according to Owen Principal Dawn Rookey.
“She’s a strong student, an athlete, and a musician, but what stands out most is that she takes initiative and sees things through,” Rookey said. “She doesn’t wait for opportunities—she creates them.”
While Robertson’s intellectual capabilities are reflected in her academic standing at the top of Owen’s senior class, it is a strong and distinct set of complementary skills that earns the respect of her teachers and peers, according to her counselor.
“Not only is she first in her class, by a lot, Jordan is also really nice and remarkable in her interactions with people. And, those two things don’t always go to together the way they do with her,” Kinnaird said. “She’s great at communicating with her peers and adults, and she’s a good friend to everybody. She really is a leader in the school, and that is largely due to the respect she gives to and receives from others.”
The Morehead-Cain Scholarship is particularly suited to accommodate Robertson’s broad view of education. While the funding covers standard costs associated with attending Carolina, the program supplements traditional education with a series of four summer enrichment programs. Students participate in an outdoor leadership course in the North American wilderness prior to freshman year, while groups of rising sophomores are assigned to a comprehensive eight-week civic collaboration with municipalities across the country. A team of Morehead-Cain Scholars, last summer, analyzed the Town of Black Mountain’s response to Helene and produced a detailed report that included recommendations to strengthen emergency preparedness.
Rising junior and senior scholars are immersed in international experiences in the global perspective enrichment assignment, before the program culminates with a professional experience that can include formal internships within institutions like NASA, Goldman Sachs and Microsoft, or pursuing business ideas of their own.
Access to experiential learning programs is an “incredible opportunity,” according to Robertson.
“I’m really excited to see how far I can push myself, which I think is kind of the point of these programs,” she said. “The first summer, we’ll be living in the wilderness for around five weeks, which obviously isn’t something people normally do. I’m sure it isn’t easy, but it will also teach us how to work together and accomplish something that is rewarding in the end.”
Robertson’s ability to view potential challenges as problems to solve through creativity and collaboration was one of several character traits that led Owen’s scholarship committee to nominate her for consideration by the Morehead-Cain Foundation.
“This is a significant moment for Owen,” Rookey said. “The Morehead-Cain Scholarship is one of the most competitive in the country, and for one of our students to earn it speaks to both her work and what’s possible here.”
Robertson’s selection marks the realization of potential her counselor has recognized for years.
“Jordan’s freshman year was my second year as a high school counselor, but even then I thought, ‘she’s perfect for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship,’” Kinnaird said. “As she advanced further into each round this year, I would have been shocked in that final week if it hadn’t been awarded to her. It just always felt like something that would happen.”
Earning the recognition is “incredibly validating” for Robertson, who reflected on her decision to attend Owen as one of the best she has made, to this point.
“It’s really easy to see myself as being some person who has done a few things in a small school, but the question a lot of us ask ourselves is who we are in the world,” she said. "In that context, it can be easy to doubt yourself. I might be one kid from Swannanoa in this little school, but I’ve learned I can do things that have an impact on others.”
The support of the classmates and faculty at Owen instills a sense of pride in Robertson, who hopes to inspire future Warhorses and Warlassies to identify and pursue their passions in the close-knit environment.
“It can sound cliché, but people should just be themselves, because this school is a safe and supportive place to do that,” she said. “Everyone will stand out in their own way, but you might as well enjoy what you’re doing, so find what you enjoy and chase that to its fullest potential.”