Brady Rickenbaugh

Brady Rickenbaugh, '25 is living his dream. As far back as kindergarten, he dreamed of attending Roger Bacon, and then moving on to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A school known for its low acceptance rates, Brady attributes his formation at Roger Bacon as a key to opening the door.

With an out-of-state acceptance rate of less than 7%, and more than 80,000 applicants for this year's admissions (including over 55,000 out-of-state) Brady’s acceptance to UNC was quite the accomplishment. On top of this, he was one of an even smaller group of students, around 80 from outside the state of North Carolina, invited to Honors Carolina, the UNC Honors program. “I am so honored to be in the Honors program at such a prestigious 'public ivy.' UNC has been everything I ever dreamed it would be, and I felt incredibly well prepared because of my classes in the Assisi Scholar program at Roger Bacon."

Brady managed a 4.0 GPA for his freshman year while double majoring in Political Science and Psychology, with a minor Philosophy, Politics and Economics, on a pre-law track, which earned him a spot on the Dean's List. He also was hand picked to join to student body President Devin Duncan's administration, including participation on a special task force on AI and Academic Affairs, working closely with university Chancellor Lee Roberts, the university's chief AI officer, and the the university Provost. Brady will also serve the administration as a Student Government Delegate.

Among other freshman year highlights was earning Social Justice Advocate of the Year for the freshman class of 2029,based on the HSPT program he created at Roger Bacon to help address academic disparities with lower-income populations; working with the Chancellor to raise awareness and fund for several other campus causes; and of course being in the Smith Center and rushing the court when UNC beat Duke on a last second buzzer beater in basketball last winter.

This past summer, Brady build a website and app to continue to help solve academic disparities by giving kids a fun way to prep for the HSPT, and enhance their odds of getting accepted to Catholic high schools.

Brady attributes much of his success to the preparation at Roger Bacon, not just academically, but through the service and leadership components of Roger Bacon and the Assisi Scholar program. "The Assisi Scholar program doesn’t just create an Honors student. The leadership and service aspects shape us into people that are committed to helping others, serving our communities, and taking a leadership role in the world around us. It shows us how to take action. These qualities have already served me well, and have been recognized in me by my peers, and such notables as the Chancellor at UNC. They see that we carry ourselves differently, as Spartans and Assisi Scholars. As I have said before, we graduate from Roger Bacon with grades and ACT scores that will stand up to anyone, but we also possess these traits, and experiences, that make us unique. These qualities that make us 'oranges in a world full of apples.' This is what allowed me to not only get into my dream school, but to excel. I am grateful for my Roger Bacon experience. Forward to Greater Things, and GO HEELS!"