Discover Your Passions at Carolina

Carolina students go on to do some pretty amazing things after spending four years with us. Next up in our short series of senior stories is Symone...

My name is Symone, and I’m a Carolina Covenant Scholar from Durham, NC double majoring in sociology and African American studies. When I came to Carolina four years ago, I was 100% sure that I wanted to be a nurse. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I realized my passions lay elsewhere.

Through the liberal arts foundation that Carolina provides, I was able to explore a variety of subjects, which is how I discovered my interest in sociology. After taking a course entitled “Blacks in North Carolina,” I added African American studies as my second major. I finally felt as though I had found my way academically, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do after graduation.

I decided to reach out to one of my professors, Geeta Kapur, because I greatly admired the passion she had for her legal work and the excitement she brought to it. That was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. She encouraged me to take time to reflect and think about what motivated and inspired me. Thanks to Professor Kapur, I was able to define my passion, which is to provide underprivileged children with the resources and opportunities that will transform their outlook and enhance their future.

Armed with this new purpose, I began researching opportunities that aligned with my goals. As soon as I found the Carolina College Advising Corps, I knew that it was the perfect organization for me. I’m so honored to begin working as a college advisor this fall and to help low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented high school students pursue higher education!

Have a question for Symone? Post a comment below.

Expand Your Network at Carolina

Carolina students go on to do some pretty amazing things after spending four years with us. Next up in our short series of senior stories is Jane...

My name is Jane, and I’m a senior from Charlotte, NC. As I prepare to graduate in a few weeks, I can’t help but be thankful for all that I have experienced during my time at Carolina. In addition to being some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met, my classmates are also incredibly kind and welcoming. Instead of fierce competition, we work together to accomplish our goals and change the world.

Majoring in journalism and double minoring in information systems and entrepreneurship connected me with a diverse range of student organizations – from Women in Entrepreneurship to Students for the Ackland Art Museum. I also served as vice president of my sorority, Delta Delta Delta, and I’m still close with friends I made while living on campus my first year. As a campus ambassador with Twitter, Square, and Google, I’ve had the unique opportunity to build my professional network and collaborate with other student leaders by spreading my passion for innovative technology.

The Carolina network is invaluable, and I’ve learned that it extends far beyond Chapel Hill. Not only did I travel to New York with the Advertising Club, but I spent two summers interning in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I’ll actually be heading back to California in the fall to begin working for Google, which is something I wouldn’t have been able to achieve without the support of my Carolina community!

Have a question for Jane? Post it below.

What a Carolina Degree Can Do For You

Carolina students go on to do some pretty amazing things after spending four years with us. Over the next two weeks, we'll share some of their stories with you. First up is Kahlil...

My name is Kahlil, and I’m a senior from New Carrollton, MD studying economics and political science. During my nearly four years at Carolina, I’ve been able to grow and carve out my niche through the extracurricular and academic opportunities I’ve explored.

As a Pogue Scholar, I studied abroad in Santiago, Chile, which was one of the best things I’ve ever done. It broadened my worldview and gave me real-world experience to accompany my Spanish minor. My involvement in organizations such as Phi Beta Kappa, Ebony Readers Onyx Theater, and Carolina Language Partnership exposed me to diverse students who challenged and strengthened my beliefs and opinions.

Although I came to Carolina to study political science, I quickly fell in love with economics because it caused me to think in a different way and consider the logical motivations for every action. Professor Ralph Byrns was the first person to explain economics to me, and he used personal experiences to make the topics relatable. The quality of education I’ve received at Carolina and the experience I’ve gained helped me earn admission into the School of Business at Wake Forest University, where I was awarded a Corporate Fellowship to complete my master’s degree in management.

I’m excited that you’re considering Carolina and sincerely hope that you’ll join our community in the fall. 

Have a question for Kahlil? Post a comment below.

Visiting Campus Tomorrow? Hear from Current Students at a Special Event

 

This Friday, a special event organized by a group of first-year students will feature noteworthy Carolina students speaking about their experiences. The event is called Priceless Gems and was designed to be a night for Carolina students to share how they have left their Heelprint at UNC. Nominated undergraduates will share their stories to inspire others to embrace their passions and make their dreams a reality. 

Current students Abby Poeske, Sam Riemer, Alex Romero, Ahmad Sadd, Chris Scanzoni, La’Mon Johnson, Colleen Daly, and Cate Paker are the confirmed speakers. The Priceless Gems event will be held April 5 from 7:30-9:00PM at the Stone Center. Free hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be served!

Prospective students and their families are welcome to attend, so if you're planning to be on campus, this will be a great opportunity to hear from a group of students who have had some incredible experiences as undergraduates at Carolina. We hope to see you there!

Our 48th Rhodes Scholar, Rachel Myrick

Congratulations to our newest Rhodes Scholar, political science and global studies major Rachel Myrick. Rachel came to us from Myers Park High School in Charlotte, NC and she's done some incredible things during her four years at Carolina, uniting her passions for social action and policy. She has spent the last three summers working for a domestic violence shelter in Belize, an international development firm in Cambodia, and a strategic consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

On campus, she serves as the student body vice president and was the driving force behind last year's very successful TEDxUNC conference. She'll also graduate as both a Public Service Scholar and a Carolina Research Scholar.

Rachel plans to use her Rhodes Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in international relations, studying the causes and consequences of ethnic conflict in world politics. Read more about Rachel.

Kicking Across Carolina

If you visit us at Carolina, as you walk around campus, you'll probably see some of our students kicking soccer balls -- on Polk Place, or on one of the residential quads, or on Ehringhaus or Hooker fields.

If you visit us soon, as you drive towards campus, you might see three of our students kicking soccer balls -- on Highway 70 in Haw River, or on 55 between Durham and Cary, or on some other winding road between New Bern and Morehead City.

These three students -- Dylan Simel, Sasha Seymore, and Ahmad Saad -- come from different backgrounds and different faiths.  They're dribbling from the mountains to the sea because they want to bring people together along lines that often divide.

Their project is called Kicking Across Carolina.  To read more about these three friends and what they're doing, click here.

A Day in the Life at Carolina: Introducing the President

Domonique introducing President Obama to a crowd of 8,000

 

Today we share the story of our own Domonique Garland, a senior at Carolina and a leader within the Admissions Ambassador program for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions:

On Thursday, April 19, I received a call from the Chancellor’s Office asking if I would be interested in introducing the President of the United States during his visit to campus the next week. Of course, I had to say yes while silently screaming and jumping up and down in my apartment. The Office told me that I would meet with them the next day and they would collect information so that President Obama’s administration could decide who they actually wanted for the introduction. On Sunday, April 22, I received a call from the White House saying that I was chosen to give the introduction for President Obama. I literally ran into every room in my apartment jumping, screaming, dancing, flipping, and anything else you can imagine. Then I called my mom and for the next 30 minutes all I heard was screaming through the phone as she was jumping on her bed. The next 48 hours flew by fast. I had to write my speech, get it edited, practice, re-work the speech, practice some more and go to dress rehearsal.

The dress rehearsal was like a walk-through of how the program would go. I was warmly welcomed by the UNC coordinator, the publicist for UNC, the coordinator for the administration, as well as some of the Secret Service. I was also grateful to see another familiar face, Will Leimenstoll, who is a fellow Ambassador and just won the election for Student Body President. Tuesday was the big day and when I say big, that is still an understatement. I was able to invite my family to the speech and they were elated. Finally, it was time for me to go down into the corridor. When I entered the corridor, the Secret Service was all around. The program began and it was amazing to watch the program from where I was standing and to see the background work of something that seems to just happen so easily. All of a sudden a huge crowd was walking toward me and in the midst of this crowd was President Barack Obama. I just stood there in awe. He went into the back hallway first to take pictures with the ROTC representatives, and then they said “Domonique, it is your time.” The President of the United States came out, gave me a hug, took pictures with me, and then asked about what I was doing. Right before I went on stage he said “Are you ready?” I replied, “Are you ready?” He laughed and said “Yes" and I replied, “Then I am too!”

My name was announced as I walked out of the corridor. Just that short conversation with the President calmed my nerves so much that I was not nervous when I went on stage to do the speech.

After I completed my speech, the President walked on stage and gave me a hug. Then I walked off and as I was doing so, I heard him mention my name and say that I would be a great teacher. It was literally like a dream.

The whole day just did not feel real and even today I am still amazed and thrilled that I was able to have this opportunity.

--Domonique Garland, '12 (Elementary Education)

Campus Chatter: Update on Transfer Decisions, Senior Week & More

Yesterday, I spent some time outside over lunch. As I was walking back to Jackson Hall, I heard some rather insistent chirping from one of our nearby trees. I stopped to search for the source and discovered two fledgling mockingbirds starting to stretch their wings -- with Mom and Dad Mockingbird just a few branches away encouraging them along.

We’ve had a lot of chatter in the comments about transfer decisions so I thought it might be helpful to address these here. We experienced a 15% increase in transfer applications for Fall 2012 (for a total of just over 3,000), so it’s taking us a little longer than we had originally planned to review these applications. That being said, we know that the waiting is tough and we are so grateful for your patience as we complete our work. We use the same holistic approach to review our transfer applications as we do our first-year applications, and Julie’s post from earlier this year gives great insight into all the things that have to happen before we can release decisions.

We do not have a specific date or time that transfer decisions will be available yet, but they will be available by the end of April. At this time, we do not anticipate adjusting the enrollment deadline, which for transfer students is still May 16; of course, if that changes, we’ll let you know. Transfer credit evaluations for admitted students should be available at approximately the same time as decisions, so you’ll be able to review this in making your decision.

Lots of people on campus are chattering, too. With only about two weeks to go before the end of the semester, our students are looking ahead to plans for next year while finishing up their coursework for this year. For our seniors, it’s particularly exciting as they make plans for after graduation and this week is Senior Week. Last night, the Morehead Planetarium hosted seniors for a special program; tonight will be the Senior Send Off and Last Lecture; and on Thursday, seniors will get to climb the Bell Tower.

After graduation, our students are taking advantage of an increase in hiring projections and other fabulous opportunities. For example, Elaine Townsend will be spending next year teaching English in South Korea on a Fulbright award.

Here are some of the other stories that we’re chattering about:

2012 Celebration of Undergraduate Research is largest symposium yet

Sofia Gruskin gives the inaugural address in the UNC Health and Human Rights Lecture Series

First-year Decathlete Joe Hutchinson will carry Olympic torch in May

UNC Celebrates Earth Day with two weeks of activities

Please let us know what other questions you have. If you include your name or at least a screen name, that’s great, as we like being able to respond to a specific person!

Carolina Students Win Fulbrights, Burch Research Fellowships

Eight UNC students will have the opportunity to travel around the world in pursuit of research and service:

• Seniors Hogan Medlin and Emma Din have been awarded Fulbright grants to teach English overseas after graduation. Hogan Medlin, the 2010-2011 student body president, will be teaching in South Korea, where he also hopes to start a project to develop leadership in young people. Emma Din will teach in Colombia, where she plans to get involved in a project related to public health. Read more.
  
• Five juniors and one sophomore have been selected as Burch Research Fellows and will undertake independent research projects around the globe this summer. Read more about their projects.