NC State student wins $25,000 scholarship from Taco Bell Foundation

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A Raleigh student at North Carolina State University won a $25,000 scholarship from the Taco Bell Foundation.

Julia Carlin is one of 11 students across the country to earn the Live Mas Scholarship this year. She was chosen out of 11,000 applicants.

Carlin recently graduated top of her class from the University of Central Florida. She earned her biology degree and is now setting her sights on her career path.

A few years ago, her older sister was placed in a medically induced coma. She was given a 1 percent chance to live.

Service dogs visited the hospital regularly, bringing the family some moments of happiness. In fact, Carlin said the dogs were the only thing that brought her hope during that time.

It was those dogs that inspired her to become a veterinarian.

She is now a first year student at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. She has been published in a medical journal and is a spokesperson with 4Ocean, an environmental group dedicated to cleaning the ocean.

She said she hopes to use her education to save animals and the environment.