Fifteen North Carolina high school girls embark July 7 on a four-week hands-on educational experience through the NC Department of Administration’s Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program. The summer enrichment opportunity nurtures student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematic careers in state government.
“The Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program already has been a steppingstone for more than 50 college-bound teens interested in state government STEM careers,” said DOA Secretary Gabriel J. Esparza. “We must continue to invest in our future by offering these educational opportunities and mentorships for our youth to help prepare North Carolina’s future leaders.”
The 2025 Lady Cardinal class includes students from grades 9 through 12 representing Chatham, Guilford, Hoke and Wake counties. Each student will work 40-hour weeks splitting their time between working alongside women leaders in state government and partnering with other mentees on a group project focused on artificial intelligence. Additionally, students will engage in summer enrichment opportunities including lunch-and-learn sessions and site visits to various state government agencies. Mentees earn a $1,700 stipend at the end of the program.
Participating state agencies include the departments of Administration, Adult Correction, Commerce, Environmental Quality, Health and Human Services, Information Technology, Natural and Cultural Resources, Public Safety, and Revenue as well as the offices of State Budget Management and State Human Resources.
Begun in 2019, this marks the fifth year for the Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program (there was a two-year hiatus during COVID-19). The mentorship program was created based on recommendations from the 2018 Status of Women in NC Employment and Earnings Report released by the Council for Women and Youth Involvement in collaboration with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. The report highlights the growing disparity in employment and earnings among women and men in North Carolina. If unchanged, the gender wage gap will not begin to close until the year 2060.
To learn more about the Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program, visit the NCDOA website.
2025 Lady Cardinals
| Mentee | Classification | County | High School | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luciana Bryant | Junior | Wake | Willow Spring | Commerce |
| Cathy Gan | Sophomore | Guilford | STEM Early College at NC A&T | Adult Correction |
| Tanisha Gogoi | Junior | Wake | Enloe | Commerce |
| Hope Haywood | Junior | Hoke | SandHoke Early College | Commerce |
| Sydnei Holmes | Junior | Wake | Heritage | Natural & Cultural Resources |
| Kathryne Hong | Senior | Chatham | Durham Academy | State Budget Management |
| Hannah Jackson | Junior | Wake | Green Hope | Administration |
| Sophia Lee | Senior | Wake | Green Level | Information Technology |
| Amala Mani | Junior | Wake | Enloe | Administration |
| Joy Parish | Junior | Wake | Middle Creek | State Human Resources |
| Keerthana Solleti | Sophomore | Wake | Green Level | Revenue |
| Samara Tarek | Sophomore | Wake | Athens Drive | Environmental Quality |
| Layton Weems | Sophomore | Wake | Cardinal Gibbons | Public Safety |
| Jillian Winkelspecht | Freshman | Wake | Raleigh Charter | Adult Correction |
| Eden Youth | Junior | Wake | Broughton | Health & Human Services |
About NCDOA and the NC Council for Women and Youth Involvement
The NC Department of Administration acts as the business manager for North Carolina state government. Under the leadership of Secretary Gabriel J. Esparza, the department oversees government operations and advocacy programs. The department's advocacy programs help to promote and assist diverse segments of the state's population that have been traditionally underserved. The North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement is a division of NCDOA. Their mission is to advise the governor, state legislators and state leaders on issues impacting women and youth.