Meet Nick Stanley, Conductor

Nick Stanley, a former Golden LEAF Scholar, was born and raised in Pasquotank County. He currently works as the band director at his former high school, Pasquotank County High School.

Stanley attended East Carolina University, which was close to home and had the same rural atmosphere he knew and loved. It was a major selling point that led him to make the decision to enroll at ECU.

“I feel like everybody knows everybody,” Stanley said. “But I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I loved living in a small community. My goal was to come back to a place like this to work and live.”

From a young age, Stanley knew he wanted to teach music, a passion that developed with the help of his middle school band director and other mentors.

“Playing for my church has had a major influence on my career as a music educator and musician,” Stanley said. “Some of the people I would call my mentors have been musicians in my church. I am currently a musician in my church and fill in for our worship leader from time to time.”

He studied music at East Carolina University and played for the ECU Marching Pirates for two years. His band has had the opportunity to play at an NFL football game and the United States Naval Academy, as well as in front of 50,000 people at ECU’s Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Stanley works with all three bands: the marching band, the jazz band and the symphonic band. He also teaches a guitar class, a ukulele class and works with the high school in academic and extracurricular support roles.

In addition to his role as conductor, Stanley is very active in the local community, where he receives a lot of support for his music program and students.

“The community really supports what we do,” Stanley said. “My community wants my students to have a first-class experience because they are first-class. That’s something that makes me want to get up and go to work.”

Stanley not only lives and works in Pasquotank County, but he also gives back to the community as a volunteer firefighter with the Pasquotank-Providence Volunteer Fire Department.

“Being a firefighter is a great opportunity to serve my community, especially since it’s the community I’ve lived in my entire life,” Stanley said. “Helping people in their worst times is something I love to do.”

It was Stanley’s parents who heard about the Golden LEAF Scholarship through a Student Services bulletin board and encouraged him to apply. The scholarship has allowed him to meet the Golden LEAF President several times at events at East Carolina University, as well as network with other Golden LEAF Scholarship recipients and strengthen those relationships. He recognizes the immense value of the Golden LEAF Scholarship to rural communities.

For the future of rural areas in northeastern North Carolina, Stanley remains hopeful that these rural areas will not only remain as they are, an important part of the economy, but will continue to grow and thrive.

“I know my community well,” Stanley said. “I have a lot to learn here, where I am. I have new opportunities to grow, to advance my career and my students.”

Emilly Hernandez-Rivera

Emilly Hernandez-Rivera is an intern at the Golden LEAF Foundation and attends Western Governors University.