In a couple of weeks, Erica Zimmerschied, a Northwest High graduate, will arrive at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in a brand new car, courtesy of Crown Automotive.

The hard work of Zimmerschied throughout high school earned her an invitation to the annual Crown Automotive Cool to be Smart event, which gives qualifying Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) graduates a chance to win a new car, scholarships and laptop computers. Students received a key for a chance to win a car of their choice.

Much to her surprise, Zimmerschied had the key that unlocked the door to a new car. She won her choice of a Dodge Avenger, Dodge Caliber, Honda Element, Nissan Sentra or a Nissan Versa. With the help of the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) program and Harris Teeter Neighborhood Markets, other winners included:

• $1,500 VIF Scholarship - Frances Garrett

• $2,500 Harris Teeter Scholarship - Miranda Bradley, Sabin Ciocan, Martha Brynn Lang, Ifeanyi Onyeji and Hannah Samet

• Laptop provided by Harris Teeter - Amy Grady, Minh Nguyen, Jordan Nunez, Lauren Stowe and Kathryn Theall

To qualify for the event, a student must have either scored a three or higher on any five AP exams and had a mean score of three on all exams, scored a four or higher on any five IB exams or had a combination of five AP/IB scores at those levels.