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For 99������Ƶ Information Technology (IT) student Kavik Carter, being a good leader is about giving back to those around you. Carter, 29, currently does this in his role as president of the college’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter by mentoring and encouraging his fellow students. While juggling academics with running his own automotive detailing business, Carter has won multiple awards this spring for his leadership skills.

He received the annual Leadership Award from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s PROpel AVL program for young professionals ages 21-40. The award recognizes organizational leadership skills and dedication to the community.

Carter was also recognized at the FBLA’s 2026 State Leadership Conference in Charlotte with a 2nd Place award in Organizational Behavior & Leadership and a 4th Place award in Foundations of Technology. He will go on to compete at the National Leadership Conference June 6-8 in Las Vegas, along with fellow FBLA award winner Aurora Perez-Martin. The two will represent North Carolina against top competitors from across the country.

Lastly, he was nominated in April for the Robert W. Scott Leadership Award, a statewide recognition that recognizes student leadership.

Business Administration Chair and FBLA faculty advisor Brad Scott attributes Carter’s success in large part to his openness, collaborative spirit, and caring nature.

“He makes a deliberate effort to meet students exactly where they are, whether they are deeply involved on campus or participating (remotely),” he said.

Carter juggles his FBLA leadership duties along with being a full-time student in 99������Ƶ’s Information Technology program, where he’s focused on building skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI). He also manages his own automotive detailing business, Kavik Customs, which is based in Old Fort.

At Kavic Customs, Carter does high-end detailing, window tinting, and auto body work, with a mission to “help customers stand out and express themselves with unique designs.”

Carter’s Instagram account showcases his incredible creative work. Filled with photos of snazzy vintage cars and reimagined modern vehicles, it reveals the scope of his talents, from hand-drawn designs to vinyl wraps in vibrant colors like emerald green and fuchsia.

In addition to his design work, Carter has always had a skill for what he calls “tinkering.”

At age 15, he taught himself how to build motorcycles and began going to local auto and motorcycle shows, which later helped him grow customers for his current business.

His “tinkering” skills also seem to extend to larger community projects. Having begun classes at 99������Ƶ in the spring of 2025, Carter soon stepped up to rebuild 99������Ƶ’s chapter of the FBLA, which had been dormant for several years. The group has grown from seven members at the beginning of the year to 20 by the end of the spring semester. 99������Ƶ has had an active FBLA chapter for 40 of its 67 years.

Carter said the opportunity to lead the FBLA was a chance to open doors for students who may not have had access otherwise to professional development and a supportive, like-minded community.

Managing school, along with the FBLA and his own business, is not an easy feat. Carter works 40 hours per week in his shop and devotes evenings to his studies. He uses AI to help him manage his business, drawing on it for help organizing projects, drafting quotes for media, or thinking through decisions.

“AI takes care of repetitive work (in my business) so I can focus on creativity and the client experience,” he said. “I believe it frees us up to put more out into the world.”

After graduating, Carter hopes to own multiple businesses that “sit at the intersection of technology, AI, and real human impact.” He is currently working on developing technology that would help to manage care for dementia patients around the clock.

“My goal is to build ventures that aren’t just profitable, but meaningful,” he said. “(I want to lead) companies that push the IT and AI space forward in ways that actually improve people’s lives.”