SANFORD, NC - For much of her high school career, Addison Tunnard never imagined herself attending an Ivy League university.
The graduating senior from Lee Early College had plans, ambitions, and a strong academic drive - but Princeton University was never part of the picture.
“If you told me last year that I would be attending a big school like Princeton, I would have laughed in your face,” Tunnard said with a laugh.
Now, just months later, she is preparing to leave North Carolina for Princeton University, where she will attend on a full four-year academic scholarship through the QuestBridge National College Match program.
“I’ll be attending Princeton University on a full ride,” she said. “I hope to be majoring in public policy. Maybe in the future, travel abroad a lot, pursue the legal field. I’m very excited about that.”
Her journey from a student unsure whether she should even apply to Princeton to becoming a QuestBridge Match Scholar is one marked by risk-taking, mentorship, self-discovery, and a deep appreciation for the public school system that helped shape her.
Taking the Leap
Tunnard said the idea of applying to Princeton only emerged midway through the college application process.
“When the school year started, when I was writing essays and doing applications, I decided, ‘Well, life is short - take risks,’” she said. “Why not? Why not try out and apply for something new?”
At the time, she was perfectly content remaining in North Carolina for college. Through QuestBridge - a highly competitive national scholarship program connecting high-achieving students with elite colleges and universities - applicants can rank up to 15 schools for consideration. Tunnard ranked only two.
“I only applied at Princeton and then Duke,” she said. “I wanted to stay in-state.”
But another Lee County Schools success story helped broaden her perspective. She credits former LEC student Angel Rivera, who matched with Columbia University the previous year, with inspiring her to think beyond state lines.
“Seeing him - it made me realize I don’t have to limit myself to staying in North Carolina,” she said. “Listen, I love North Carolina. I totally see the appeal to many types of people. I just really wanted to broaden my horizons and step out.”
She paused before adding, “I feel like I explored every nook and cranny of the state at this point. I have to leave at some point!” she chuckled.
The Email That Changed Everything
The moment she learned she had been accepted to Princeton is one she still describes with disbelief.
The acceptance email arrived during her public speaking class.
“It was so scary,” she recalled. “It was right before I was about to give my speech and I saw the email.”
She considered waiting until she got home to open it.
“I thought, I really should wait until I’m home to open it,” she mused. “But no - I don’t have impulse control,” she joked.
Instead, she opened the message immediately while sitting in class.
“I couldn’t react out loud because it’s public speaking, to be courteous to everyone,” she said. “I was very shocked. I could not believe that this was happening and my life just changed in a split second.”
After class ended, she rushed to her car and called her parents.
“They picked up the phone and I’m like, ‘So, Princeton is going to happen!’” she exclaimed. “They were obviously very, very happy.”
Soon after that phone call, she committed to Princeton.
Discovering Purpose Through Public Education
While Tunnard is still refining exactly where her career path will lead, she knows one thing clearly: she wants to make a difference.
Right now, that passion points toward education law.
“I really want to try and pursue education law,” she said. “Especially since I was here in the public school system.”
Recently, Tunnard served as an AVID tutor at West Lee Middle School, an experience she says profoundly shaped her goals.
“Just helping out the students made me realize how much we need legal input and adjustments in the education system,” she said. “It just made it really clear I want to make a difference in public education.”
That desire is deeply personal.
“I know public schools are a big, big reason why I’m in this position and how much Lee County Schools have helped me,” she said. “So I really want to help out and really advocate for those kinds of schools, because without that help, I would not be in the position where I am.”
Though her ambitions have evolved over time - at one point during Governor’s School she considered becoming a diplomat - the common thread has remained the same: service and impact.
“My opinion changes like every single day,” she admitted with a smile and a laugh. “But I do know that I really want to pursue something in the legal field because I want to make that difference in other people’s lives and just make a change.”
A School That Changed Her
Tunnard speaks passionately about the role Lee Early College played in her development.
“When I came in here, there weren’t any sports,” she said. “So there was that big stigma like, ‘Well, it’s a nerd school. They don’t do anything but study.”
But what she discovered instead was a close-knit environment built on relationships and support.
“I didn’t realize how many friendships I would make, the connections I’d make with my teachers, and especially going into the community college in that partnership,” she said.
She believes the school’s small class sizes and close teacher relationships were instrumental in preparing her for opportunities like Princeton.
“I would not be here if it weren’t for the small class sizes and the relationships I was making with my teachers,” she said. “I really believe I would not get this opportunity if I were at a traditional high school.”
At Lee Early College, students simultaneously work toward a high school diploma and an associates degree through partnerships with local community colleges. Tunnard graduates not only with her high school diploma from LEC, but with an Associate in Arts degree from Central Carolina Community College (CCCC).
Throughout her time there, she said she learned far more than academics.
“I feel like I’ve developed a lot of soft skills,” she said. “Asking for recommendation letters, especially when I was looking into summer programs as a freshman and sophomore. I was really able to build those relationships with my teachers and ask them for help on many things.”
One of the biggest lessons she learned was the importance of seeking support.
“Coming out of middle school during the pandemic, I was very closed off and I didn’t really seek to look to anyone for help,” she said. “That was the big thing I had to learn here.”
She praised the resources available through the community college partnership, from academic assistance centers to librarians and study spaces. “They helped me with my writing. I got math help from them at one point,” she explained. “So just the resources here on the community college campus have been very, very helpful.”
Governor’s School and Thinking Bigger
Another transformative experience came through North Carolina Governor’s School.
Tunnard says the prestigious summer program introduced her to students from across the state who challenged and inspired her.
“The biggest thing I left with was just being motivated by all these other people,” she said. “I like talking to people. I like being surrounded by others. And just being surrounded by all these motivated people really made me rethink that I should shoot higher.”
The experience changed the way she viewed her own potential.
“I got to take initiative on my own learning and do research while connecting with people who are also very passionate and take their education very seriously,” she explained. “Just being around those people made me shoot a little higher.”
It was one of the experiences that ultimately helped her feel confident enough to take a chance on Princeton.
Finding Home at Princeton
Though she committed months ago, Tunnard only recently visited campus for the first time during Princeton Preview, the university’s admitted students’ program.
“That was actually my first time visiting,” she said. “And that is when I knew I made the right decision.”
Now, she is preparing for a future that once seemed unimaginable - one that may include studying public policy, pursuing law, and perhaps even traveling the world. Still, no matter where life takes her, she says her roots at Lee Early College will remain central to who she is.
“I will always be proud to call myself a Cobra,” Tunnard smiled. “I know that as I leave here I feel prepared and I feel incredibly supported.”
For a student who once hesitated to dream beyond North Carolina, that support helped make the impossible suddenly feel possible. And all because she decided to ask one simple question: “Why not?”