Blue Sky Scholar Anthony Coble outside the Kenan-Flagler Business School. (Photo by Jeyhoun Allebaugh)
Anthony Coble ’26 was traveling to a game with his high school lacrosse teammates when he found out that he had been awarded a Blue Sky Scholarship. Checking his phone on the team bus, he saw an email from the UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.
“It said, ‘Congratulations, you’re a Blue Sky Scholar,’” Coble shared. “I told all my teammates; it was so crazy. I was just caught completely off guard. My team even ended up winning the game, and it was one of the best days of my life.”
The decision to attend Carolina was a “no-brainer” for Coble, who is from Burlington, North Carolina, and whose brother, mother and grandmother attended Carolina. As a high school senior, he decided he wanted to major in business so the Kenan-Flagler Business School was also a draw. Coble is now a business major and minoring in entrepreneurship through the Shuford Program.
While in high school, Coble sometimes worked forty hours or more per week for a local startup company, an experience that helped inspire his decision to pursue a business degree. Despite the long hours, Coble was salutatorian of his class at Williams High School.
The Blue Sky Scholars Program is designed for high-achieving students who come from middle-income families. Scholars receive an annual award of $7,500, as well as opportunities for work-study employment, mentorship and academic enrichment. They are also eligible to receive a one-time stipend of $2,500 to support internships, study abroad or other opportunities.
Coble credits the Blue Sky Scholars Program for helping him thrive at Carolina, both academically and through involvement in student life. A dean’s list student for five consecutive semesters, Coble is a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, the finance society and the real estate club, in addition to UNC’s competitive club pickleball team.
Coble used Blue Sky’s enrichment grant to participate in a UNC Kenan-Flagler global immersion elective in Thailand, where he learned about the economy and business climate while meeting with leaders of local and international companies.
“I hadn’t traveled abroad growing up, and this was one of the best experiences of my life,” Coble said. “It’s something I couldn’t have done without the help from Blue Sky.”
Coble landed an internship at a commercial real estate firm in Charlotte during the summer of 2025, and he plans to pursue a career in that industry following graduation.
“Blue Sky has helped me have the full experience of being a student,” Coble said. “Not having to worry and stress about loans or paying tuition upfront — it’s absolutely the reason I could be in all those clubs and not have to work or spend all my savings. I have gone through all four years without taking out any student loans, and I am very grateful for that.”
Written by Drew Guiteras, University Development
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