Miss North Carolina remembered for ‘undeniable’ impact after her death at 22
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Family of Carrie Everett seeks funds for funeral and ongoing expenses after death.
- Everett, 22, was Miss North Carolina in 2024 and advocated for HBCU students.
- NCCU and Miss America praise her singing, leadership and efforts to expand access.
The family of the woman who was Miss North Carolina in 2024 is raising money for her funeral and other expenses after she died from cancer.
Carrie Everett, a sophomore music major at N.C. Central University, died Sunday night from a rare form of gastric cancer, her family announced in a statement posted on Instagram. Everett was 22. Her family is asking for privacy and said “details of her memorial will be shared with loved ones in the coming days.”
A GoFundMe originally for Everett’s medical costs will now also cover funeral expenses and ongoing financial needs. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had raised $71,000.
“The cries of her heart became songs that stirred the spirits of everyone who had the pleasure of hearing her sing,” Everett’s family wrote.
“She lived a full life and with her last words, on stage and in life she proclaimed the goodness of God. Her impact on this world is undeniable, and we will carry on her legacy of advocacy and praise.”
Tributes pour in for Everett
Everett, a Seattle native, was the first HBCU student to become Miss North Carolina, NCCU Chancellor Karrie Dixon wrote in a Monday statement. She worked to make pageants more accessible and to recruit young women who saw expensive wardrobes and entry fees as a barrier to competing, Dixon wrote.
“Carrie selected NCCU because of the university’s music program — she enjoyed singing gospel music — and regularly graced NCCU occasions with her beautiful singing voice,” Dixon wrote. “Her ambition, grace, tenacity and talent will be deeply missed.”
The national Miss America organization extended its condolences in a statement posted Monday on its Instagram story, a 24-hour post that shows when followers click on someone’s profile picture. Everett advocated for HBCU students to pursue scholarships and professional opportunities available through Miss America, the organization wrote.
“Everett’s voice, leadership and commitment to empowering others made a lasting impact that will continue to be felt in the lives she touched and the communities she served,” according to the organization’s post.
Miss North Carolina 2025 Sophia Kellstrom wrote in a Monday Facebook post that Everett “fought the most valiant battle against a rare and aggressive cancer, and even in the hardest moments, she carried love, faith, and light.”
Erik Gotelli, a friend of Everett’s, wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday that Everett gave him the confidence to step back into the pageant world. He recalled the first time they met in December 2023, when he and Everett stopped on the drive home from a Miss Johnston County dress rehearsal for her to try Bojangles for the first time.
While the two were eating, Everett looked at Gotelli and told him she was going to win Miss North Carolina, Gotelli wrote.
“At the time I remember thinking, ‘Girl, you haven’t even won Miss Johnston County yet, let’s take this one step at a time,” Gotelli wrote. “But that was Carrie. She believed in her dreams with her whole heart. And through her faith, determination, and relentless work ethic, she spoke those dreams into existence.”
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