The conference, themed “The Power of Story, Mental Health and Representation in Sport,” begins at 10 a.m. and is open to all faculty, staff, students and community members. The conference may be of particular interest to student athletes and students majoring in human service studies, education, psychology, communications and public health.

The conference combines empathy, collaboration, critical reflection, storytelling, advocacy and networking to strengthen mental health for African American or Black identifying individuals and ally community members. The goal of the conference is to highlight wellness, belonging and access to support while elevating the experiences of Black athletes and the communities and identities they represent. The conference sessions will share why mental health matters and connect participants with tools, relationships and resources to encourage healing, growth and success beyond performance.

Participants can take part in breakout sessions, athlete and professional fire chats, gallery walks, community networking, keynote conversations, and workshops.

Featured speakers include NFL veteran and mental health advocate Marcus Smith II, community leader Lorenza Wilkins, Minority Women in Sports founder Andrea Durham, Selfly Enterpirise founder and therapist Adriana Londoño and founder of Epiphany-Hill Enterprises Amber Hill.

“This conference is personal to me,” Cephus said. “As a former track and field athlete, I know what it feels like to constantly chase being better and still feel like it is not enough. There were moments where I needed support and reassurance, and I did not always have that. The conference is me creating the space I wish existed for myself and for others, a space where people feel seen, heard and valued beyond what they produce.”

The event provides conversation and practical education for participants to leave not only feeling understood but also equipped. It aims to reduce mental health stigma in athletic spaces, encourage identity development beyond performance, connect students with professionals and mentors, and introduce healthy coping and communication strategies.

The conference is centered in Cephus’s undergraduate research examining how racialized expectations influence the mental health experiences of Black female collegiate athletes.

“This research showed me that mental health in athletes cannot be understood without also understanding identity, race and the environments athletes are navigating,” Cephus said.

Through interviews and demographic questionnaires with current and former collegiate athletes, she explored how these athletes experience pressure not just to perform but to represent strength, resilience and success without leaving room for vulnerability.

“What I found is that many of these expectations become internalized, meaning athletes begin to measure their worth by how well they meet these narratives, even when it comes at the expense of their wellbeing,” Cephus said. “The conference translates this research into practice through guided conversations, workshops and mentorship opportunities.”

Cephus wanted to do more beyond a research paper and created the conference for people to experience, engage with and grow from creating environments where athletes and students feel supported as whole people.

She hopes people walk away from the conference feeling seen and more connected to themselves and others.

“I want participants to understand that their worth is not defined by their performance, their tasks or what they produce,” Cephus said. “I also want them to leave with tools, language and support that they can carry with them beyond the conference.”

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Cephus is a human services studies major from Hoover, Alabama. The conference is hosted by the Poverty and Social Justice Program and sponsored by the Student Government Association.

The funding was awarded through HSS 4110: Designing and Assessing Human Services Programs, a senior-level course taught by Tony Reyes, assistant professor of human service studies. In the course, students learn how to design programs that address social problems by conducting needs assessments, developing interventions, identifying necessary resources and evaluating program effectiveness.

Four Human Service Studies seniors — Ruby Radis, Izzy Greenstein, Chloe Vautrin, and Shayla Goba — wrote the grant proposal that led to the award. Their proposal recommended equipping a small wellness room where residents can participate in activities that support physical and mental well-being, including relaxation, movement and meditation.

As part of the project, students visited Burlington Homes to announce the grant award. During the visit, they met with Shandra Haynes, service coordinator for the community, and spoke with residents.

“The goal of the course is to help students understand how programs are planned, funded and evaluated in the real world,” Reyes said. “Rather than studying these processes only in theory, students work through the entire process themselves — identifying needs, designing a program and preparing a grant proposal.”

For the students involved, the project quickly became more than a typical class assignment.

“What started as a class assignment quickly turned into a passion project in which we were actively working with Burlington Homes members to address community needs,” said Greenstein. “Shayla, Ruby and Chloe genuinely cared about the outcome, so it didn’t feel like homework, and getting to meet the residents once the grant was awarded was the cherry on top.”

The grant funding was made possible through a gift from an ������Ƶ alumna who supports the Learning by Giving model, an educational approach that allows students to learn philanthropy by making real funding decisions. The model has been championed at ������Ƶ by Bud Warner, professor emeritus of human service studies, who advocated for incorporating hands-on philanthropy into undergraduate education.

The wellness space will provide a quiet area where residents can participate in activities that support relaxation and overall well-being. The room may also be used by ������Ƶ students and volunteers who visit Burlington Homes to lead wellness activities with residents.

Through the project, students gained experience researching community needs, working with local partners and developing a professional grant proposal.

Since his 2023 arrival at ������Ƶ, Kelly has hosted a ‘listening tour’ and spent time with each department to hear directly from faculty and staff about what they value. Kelly said that common themes soon emerged from those conversations and the new statement reflects dozens of discussions.

������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences new vision statement reads: “The Heart of an ������Ƶ Education: Ignite Curiosity, Engage Challenges, Transform Worlds.”

The mission statement then declares:

“Upholding the centrality of the liberal arts, we explore and apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge for inquiry, creativity, discovery and problem solving in a complex and changing world.”

The statement lists core values that include accessibility, belonging, critical thinking, diversity, equity and inclusion, integrity, intellectual curiosity, problem-posing and respect for human dignity.

Community Reflections

• “There were several opportunities for different groups, departments, branches, interdisciplinary programs, to discuss versions on the table. It was in those conversations where we might learn how a word or phrase was heard within and across disciplines; where we found convergence, deeper awareness, and respect. The both-and of this process modeled what we value and genuinely captures our shared identity as ������Ƶ College.” – Caroline Ketcham, associate dean of ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of exercise science
• “It was always important to us that this wasn’t a process where faculty were just asked to weigh in at the end, after the real decisions had already been made. From start to finish, it was grounded in listening to what faculty across the college say we do well and what values they believe guide our shared work. Our task wasn’t to invent a mission, vision and values, but to clearly articulate what faculty are already living and leading with. I think that’s why faculty can so readily see themselves and their departments represented in the final statements.” – David Buck, associate dean of ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences and an associate professor of psychology
• “Having shared goals and articulated values helps everyone in the college feel connected as a community, value each other’s work and prioritize our energies on initiatives that matter to us.” – Shannon Duvall, interim associate dean of ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of computer science
• “I appreciated the collaborative nature of it all, not just between the dean’s office and department chairs, but also extending to faculty members across ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences. It really did involve all of us. What particularly stood out to me were the conversations in our chairs’ meetings with the dean where we came to agreements on core values. It’s inspiring to see that distinctly different types of disciplines uphold the same core values.” – Joel Karty, chair of the Department of Chemistry and ������Ƶ’s Sydney F. & Kathleen E. Jackson Professor of chemistry
• “I appreciated being part of a process that felt genuinely collaborative. Our participation was not merely symbolic. It felt meaningful, and I experienced the dean’s office as truly listening. The process itself was also inspirational, and I feel bolstered in leading my own department through similar work. It was powerful to see such a broad, collective effort take shape into something tangible.” – Samantha DiRosa, chair of the Department of Art and a professor of art and environmental studies
• “The process of creating a new vision statement, mission statement and core values for ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences was both thoughtful and deeply collaborative. Over many months, department chairs worked together to reflect on what makes us distinctive and how best to express those qualities in guiding statements. The process intentionally sought input from across departments, ensuring that everyone in the college had the opportunity to contribute their perspectives. Personally, the time spent reflecting with fellow chairs on what makes each of our departments special fostered a deeper sense of shared purpose and collective commitment.” – Carrie Eaves, chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Policy and associate professor of political science and public policy

Kelly said he was pleased the final language resonated with the faculty in the college.

“The true measure of a successful attempt to lead a group or an organization towards a renewed vision, mission and core values is whether the words and sentiments ‘sound like us’,” he said. “When I heard that some faculty believed my presentation of our vision, mission and core values at our spring faculty meeting ‘sound like us,’ I knew that our work together in small and large group settings was a huge success. It means that stakeholders were heard and that the words resonate so much so that the tune or melody is familiar. The vision, mission and core values reflect truly who we are and where we are going with much intention.”

Author of “A Knock at Midnight,” Barnett writes about her experience advocating for a reformed criminal justice system in the United States. Through her work and long-lasting relationships with her clients, Barnett’s sphere of influence is wide. Barnett founded the Buried Alive Project, which attempts to dismantle life without parole sentences, and Girls Embracing Mothers, an organization that empowers girls with mothers behind bars.

Sandra Reid, associate teaching professor of human service studies, will moderate the discussion. Reid’s experience in juvenile justice and the human service field includes her time on the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission and as chair of both the Alamance County Community Services Agency and the Positive Attitude Youth Center.

“She is deeply committed to affirming the dignity and worth of individuals impacted by an unjust criminal legal system, advocating persistently for their release and supporting their successful reintegration into their communities. In other words, she is a super hero,” said Reid.

Since its founding in 1958 by James P. Elder Jr. ’60, the Liberal Arts Forum continues to bring unique academic speakers to ������Ƶ and encourage meaningful conversations around the arts and humanities, mathematical and natural sciences, and social sciences, inside and outside the classroom.

Want to choose ������Ƶ’s next speaker? Get involved with the Forum every Tuesday in Alamance 207 at 4:15 p.m.

The “Childbirth” core seminar created and led by Cynthia Fair, a professor of public health and human service studies and the Watts/Thompson Professor at ������Ƶ, has become a transformative course on campus that Fair describes today as a highlight of her teaching career and one of her favorite courses.

Students and graduates say they feel the same way and several have cited the course as a meaningful experience that influences their career journeys through its exploration of the social, historical and cultural aspects of childbirth.

First offered in 2003, the course’s origins date to Fair’s undergraduate studies at Davidson College when she learned about a professor who taught a childbirth course to non-biology majors. “It was one of those moments where the clouds parted,” said Fair, who has mentored dozens of undergraduate researchers at ������Ƶ over the past two decades. “I knew I was meant to teach this course.”

Fair brings three aspects of experience to the classroom: lived experience as a mother, clinical experience working with pregnant people and families, and research on childbirth topics such as waterbirth and fertility.

“Throughout the course we look at the historical portrayal of women’s bodies, the effects of structural racism, cultural anthropology, the evolution of midwifery care, and even the language we use around birth,” Fair said. “Language shapes how we see the world, and it shapes how care is delivered. I love teaching this course because I lived it.”

Students also examine where birth occurs, from hospitals to homes to birth centers, and consider how environments, systems and support networks influence labor and outcomes.

Fair said she hopes students leave the course with more than academic knowledge. She wants them to develop a voice they can use in any medical context. Discussions often focus on strategies to reduce maternal mortality and how to support a birthing person’s decisions.

“Everyone is born, yet we rarely talk about birth,” Fair said. “Students have so many questions, and I create a space where no question is ‘stupid’.”

A signature assignment asks students to reflect on their own births to explore how personal experience, family stories and cultural messaging shape their understanding of childbirth.

Throughout the semester, the classroom becomes an interactive space. Students learn and practice baby massage techniques and explore breastfeeding practices and holds. Fair regularly invites guest lectures, including a childbirth educator, midwife, doula and neonatal intensive care unit clinical social worker.

Whether students pursue clinical careers or become advocates for maternal health, Fair said, she is proud of the course’s impact.

“My dream is for students who enter health-related fields to nurture this passion and to improve outcomes. I also want each student to know how to advocate for themselves in a medical setting.” Fair said.

Over the years, Fair’s course has shaped career paths for several students who either discovered or deepened their passion for maternal and child health. Some ������Ƶ alumni now volunteer their time to visit with Fair’s current students.

Cat Palmer ’15, a practicing nurse-midwife, visited the class during the most recent fall semester to share her own story with current students.

“The midwifery philosophy honors the autonomy and sovereignty a person giving birth has over their body and their own experience,” Palmer said. “Dr. Fair’s class sparked a passion I did not know I had, and demonstrated that scientific rigor, public health, healing arts and service to one’s community could all meet in the discipline of midwifery. In many ways, the balance of didactic coursework and experiential learning in the ‘real world’ that I received at ������Ƶ set me up perfectly for my career as a midwife.”

Because of Fair’s course, Harper McEvoy ’25 shifted her own career trajectory from pursing a degree in physician assistant studies to becoming a midwife. McEvoy had long been interested in childbirth and was even able to connect with Palmer to talk about similar experiences.

McEvoy will soon attend Yale University School of Nursing, where she plans to become a nurse-midwife and a women’s health nurse practitioner.

“Hearing real-life stories and participating in hands-on exercises helped us truly experience how these professionals create environments that advocate for and support women through such a transformative experience,” McEvoy said. “Dr. Fair’s course helped me realize what truly excites and fulfills me, and it gave me the clarity and confidence to change direction. I realized I wanted to be someone who honors birth, advocates for mothers and stands with them through both the most challenging and joyful moments.”

Izzy Greenstein ’26 and Ruby Radis ’26 performed a variety of job duties for partner agencies who serve members of the community in need of assistance.

The duo conducted intake interviews with clients and made referrals to the partner agencies such as Family Abuse Services, the Burlington Police Department and the Elder Justice Project, and they observed criminal court hearings, participated in a Burlington Police Department ride along, and shadowed a Family Abuse Services advocate who was filing a restraining order.

As part of the human service studies major, seniors take four courses in the same semester, allowing them to attend classes two days a week and spend the remainder of the week at their internship placements.

“The internship serves as the capstone of our major, offering students the opportunity to connect classroom learning and theory to real-world practice, and Izzy and Ruby embodied this integration at the highest level,” said Sandra Reid, the associate teaching professor who oversaw their internship.

Greenstein, who is bilingual and a double major in Spanish, also supported Spanish-speaking clients by doing administrative work in Spanish. She said guiding clients through intake interviews provided valuable hands-on experience.

“Working alongside Izzy has been such a blessing over the past couple of months,” Radis said. “We are able to discuss the heavy things that we see each day. We can lift each other up when the stories we hear during our intakes become very emotional.”

Before this internship, Greenstein and Radis had little experience working with victims of domestic violence. Both said they gained a deeper understanding of the challenges clients face and found the experience meaningful.

One moment that stood out to Greenstein was attending court to observe proceedings from first appearances to criminal trials.

“This internship has been my favorite experience. I have loved getting to work with Ruby,” Greenstein said. “It has given me real-world experience and has shown me what people are going through right under my nose in the community. This experience has given me exposure to social work that I could see myself doing in the future, and it has taught me how to sensitively work with high-risk clients to get a better understanding of what is available in Alamance County.”

Radis said one of her biggest takeaways from this internship is the presence of hope and people working hard toward justice.

“There are opportunities out there for me to go to work every day and make a small contribution to change,” Radis said. “Studying human services studies has completely shifted the way I approach working with others and pursuing social justice. I have come to understand the importance of learning from the communities I work with just as much as they learn from me.”

The human services studies major provides many opportunities for real-world experience. In addition to internships, students complete volunteer work at local organizations. Radis has volunteered with the Alamance Dream Center and several organizations in Charlotte, while Greenstein has volunteered with Friendship Adult Day Services, Inc., Church World Service, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Benevolence Farm and ������Ƶ’s “It Takes a Village” Project.

Radis said the major cultivates leaders through examining social structures, fieldwork, theory and more to bring about positive change in undervalued fields. The major also fosters close relationships both inside and outside the classroom, especially during the senior internship semester.

Both students recommend the major to incoming students interested in the social sciences and community work.

“I would tell someone who is interested in the program to do it,” Radis said. “Studying human service studies has taught me so much about our world and my place in it. It has challenged me to think outside of the norm and into a future that contains professionals charged with a critical yet positive lens.”

Reid said both students exemplified the highest standards of professionalism, initiative, and compassion during their internship. Both students approached their work with curiosity, respect, and a deep commitment to serving others.

“Izzy demonstrated exceptional communication and critical thinking skills, engaging thoughtfully with clients and partner agencies while performing at the level of a high-functioning new employee,” Reid said. “Ruby consistently went above and beyond, building strong professional relationships, seeking additional responsibilities, and embracing every opportunity to learn.”

Both seniors plan to work for a few years before attending graduate school. Greenstein said she hopes to earn a master’s degree in social work and dedicate herself to immigrant and refugee populations, domestic violence victims, underserved communities or within the criminal justice system. Radis said she also plans to pursue a graduate degree in social work or law.

The classification recognizes the university’s deep commitment to community and civic engagement, and it follows a recent U.S. News & World Report ranking naming ������Ƶ second in the nation for service-learning.

“While we are honored by the national recognition for excellence for service-learning, what matters most is the lasting impact that our students and faculty create through engagement in their communities,” said Jon Dooley, vice president for Student Life and associate professor of education. “The work prepares graduates who become thoughtful leaders, making meaningful contributions throughout their lives.”

In announcing the recognition, leaders at the Carnegie Foundation emphasized the national importance of higher education’s role in community engagement.

“Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all. Our colleges and universities not only fuel science and innovation, they build prosperity in rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide,” said Carnegie Foundation President Timothy F.C. Knowles. “We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors – fostering civic engagement, building usable knowledge, and catalyzing real-world learning experiences for students.”

Bob Frigo, assistant dean of campus life and director of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, said the significance of the recognition for ������Ƶ cannot be overstated.

“At a moment when the purpose and value of higher education are being debated across the nation, ������Ƶ is recognized as a powerful example of what is possible when education is grounded in service to the public good,” Frigo said. “This recognition affirms what we see every day – when students, faculty, staff and community partners come together through community-based experiential learning opportunities, the results are transformative.”

The as the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global). Collaboration is for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to:

• Enrich scholarship, research and creative activity
• Enhance curriculum, teaching and learning
• Prepare educated, engaged citizens
• Strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility
• Address critical societal issues
• Contribute to the public good

The Carnegie Foundation’s description guided the development of the university’s application, which highlighted how these principles are implemented across ������Ƶ’s campus.

Professor Phillip Motley, director of graduate programs for the School of Communications and former faculty fellow for community-based learning, partnered with Frigo to write the application, which illuminated the work of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Center for Access and Success, Department of Human Service Studies, Poverty and Social Justice Minor, and Council on Civic Engagement.

The application also featured examples of campus-community partnerships, including:

• School of Health Sciences and Alamance Dream Center
• School of Law’s Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic and North Carolina
• Department of Health and Human Services State Refugee Office
• Department of Physical Therapy Education and HOPE Clinic
• Student Professional Development Center and Alamance County Chamber of Commerce
• Department of Engineering and City of Graham Recreation and Parks Department
• Kernodle Center for Civic Life and Alamance County Board of Elections
• Center for Access and Success and Alamance-Burlington School System
• Athletics and Allied Churches of Alamance County
• Project Pericles and the Sri Lankan non-governmental organization Sarvodaya
• Fraternities and Sororities and Habitat for Humanity
• Human Service Studies and Red Shield Youth Club
• Departments of Biology, Environmental Studies, Education and Wellness, ������Ƶ Academy, and Clean Haw River
• Poverty and Social Justice Minor and Mayco Bigelow Community Center
• Power and Place Collaborative and African-American Cultural Arts and History Center

������Ƶ’s classification was awarded after an intensive self-study process and external validation by a range of community partners. The university was one of the first institutions in the nation to receive the initial community engagement designation in 2006 and was re-classified in 2015.

“The institutions receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification exemplify American higher education’s commitment to the greater good,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “The beneficiaries of this unflagging dedication to public purpose missions are their students, their teaching and research enterprises, and their wider communities.”

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the nation’s leading framework for categorizing colleges and universities. The community engagement classification has been the leading mark of national recognition for over two decades. A complete listing of the 277 institutions that currently hold the classification endorsement is .

The university plans to celebrate this recognition at a campus-wide reception on Friday, March 6, at 5 p.m. in the Koury Center Concourse after the March faculty meeting.

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture. At ������Ƶ, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff. More than 70 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business administration, business analytics, accounting, education, higher education, physician assistant studies and physical therapy.

About the Carnegie Classifications

The Carnegie Classifications are the nation’s leading framework for categorizing and describing colleges and universities in the United States. Utilized frequently by policymakers, funders, and researchers, the Classifications are a critical benchmarking tool for postsecondary institutions. ACE and the Carnegie Foundation announced a partnership in February 2022 to reimagine the Classifications to better reflect the diversity of postsecondary institutions and more completely characterize the impact that today’s institutions have in society.

About ACE

ACE is a membership organization that leads higher education with a united vision for the future —  galvanizing its members to make change and collaborating across the sector to design solutions for today’s challenges, serving the needs of a diverse student population, and shaping effective public policy. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, its strength lies in its diverse membership of nearly 1,600 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities.

About the Carnegie Foundation

The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education. The Foundation was also instrumental in the formation of the U.S. Department of Education and Pell Grants, and most recently in the use of networked improvement science to redress systemic inequities in educational opportunities and outcomes.

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• Jasmine Walker ’25 gives back to the community that shaped her through Year of Service Fellows Program

As an ������Ƶ Year of Service Fellow, Jasmine Walker ’25 was excited to have the opportunity to give back to the community that helped her grow, currently partnering with , an organization focused on education from “cradle to career.”

“When I found out it was through ABSS (Alamance Burlington School System), which I’m a product of, I wanted to help the school system since they helped me become who I am,” said Walker, who earned a degree in human service studies with a minor in poverty and social justice.

�ճ����Year of Service Fellows Program is an opportunity through the university’s Student Professional Development Center that allows recent graduates to work at local organizations to improve health, education and economic development in the Alamance County community.

Going macro

A native of ������Ƶ, Walker was a scholar in the ������Ƶ Academy in high school, and a scholar in the Odyssey Program. Now, she’s a Year of Service Fellow, an opportunity that allows recent graduates to work at local organizations to improve health, education and economic development in the Alamance County community.

“I wanted to do macro-work,” she said of her choice to do the fellows program. “I was doing a lot of micro work in my undergrad, and I wanted to try something different. I really appreciate the experience because I’ve never done anything like this before, and it’s building my knowledge.”

Walker started with Alamance Achieves in June 2025 and says she was immediately thrown in,” working on “Ready Freddy,” a three-week program preparing students for kindergarten.

“I have a lot of experience working with kids, and that’s something I’m passionate about,” said Walker.

She also assists with the Teachers Leadership Academy, a program for ABSS teachers focusing on leadership skills and opportunities, and “The Basics Alamance,” a community-wide initiative that uses evidence-based principles and a text-message platform to support caregivers in promoting healthy brain development from birth to age 5.

“There’s a misconception that people don’t need to work with kids until they’re in kindergarten, and that’s when they’ll start learning. But it’s very prevalent for children to start learning from the ages of 0 to 5, before they go to kindergarten,” said Walker.

A desire to help

Her desire to help others was a key factor in her decision to major in human services studies.

“I wanted to help people, and I’ve always been passionate about supporting others,” said Walker. “I grew up volunteering and doing different things with my church. When I was a freshman, I met a senior in the program, and I took the intro course and really liked it. I liked how personable the department was.”

Walker credits several faculty members with being her biggest cheerleaders, including Sandra Reid, Vanessa Drew Branch and Jessica Navarro. The Odyssey Program, along with ������Ƶ’s Periclean Scholars Program also advanced her education and global understanding.

“The Odyssey Program really changed my life,” said Walker. “I was able to study abroad in Florence, Italy, my junior year and I was there for three and a half months. That was cool, I never thought I was going to be able to leave the country because of finances.”

Healthier, smarter, stronger

Through the Periclean Scholars Program, a three-year, cohort-based learning experience that focuses on forming mutually-beneficial partnerships locally and abroad, Walker was also able to travel to Costa Rica for the Winter Term. It was an opportunity to practice the Spanish-speaking skills she learned through the ABSS Spanish-immersion program from kindergarten through 11^th grade.

“We studied Costa Rica as a whole and looked at what the specific community that we were going to travel to needed,” she said. “It was interesting, and I think it helped me because now I’m thinking, after the fellowship, either continuing to work in Alamance County, or pursuing a master’s degree in social work.”

Even though she’s from Alamance County and was educated in ABSS, Walker says she’s continuing to learn about her hometown.

“It’s cool to be able to meet different leaders and partners in the community, and hear what they do,” Walker said. “I don’t think I realized how many organizations and partnerships there are to make Alamance County continue to thrive. I can see the efforts being made to support Impact Alamance’s mission of making Alamance County healthier, smarter and stronger. Growing up and seeing the difference between what it was when I was a kid and what it is now in my 20s, it gives me hope.”

This story is part of a series of features on the 2025-26 Year of Service Fellows, highlighting the work they are doing in the Alamance County community.

When I was a freshman at ������Ƶ, full of ambition but lacking direction, Dr. Fair invited me to join her undergraduate research team. At the time, her focus was on the impact of health issues on children, and I wanted nothing to do with kids. So, we pivoted. I launched a project exploring the impact of stigma and discrimination on individuals living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. We met weekly. I completed the research, turned it into a senior-year internship, presented at the Student Undergraduate Research Forum and eventually co-authored a paper with her. The year after graduation, we were published and presented at a national conference. I landed a job supporting state HIV programs, and I was good at it.

But when I think of Dr. Fair, it’s not the résumé bullet points that come to mind. It’s her enduring influence on who I am. She’s a wellspring of patience, knowledge, resilience and curiosity. She never settles for the status quo. She sees students — and the world — as works in progress, always evolving. She gave me, an eager but slightly jaded kid, the space to ask big questions, to embrace setbacks and to celebrate small victories. Through every life milestone since graduation, through highs and lows, she’s been there. She always says, “When you come up for air, I’ll be here.” And she always is. For the record, I’m still working on changing the world. But Dr. Fair? She already has

Britten Pund ’06 is a public health program consultant with more than 19 years of experience supporting state health department and federal HIV programs. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Zack Pund ’05, and their three children.

DeMarco, a human service studies major, started her engagement at ������Ƶ as a member of the Service Living and Learning Community. She continued to deepen her involvement as a Service Living and Learning Community coordinator and a leader of an alternative break experience to Asheville.

She has been involved in the Campus Kitchen program for several years now, initially as a farm shift coordinator, and now serves as director. DeMarco has been able to strengthen volunteer retention, along with an increased capability of harvesting more produce Loy Farm to help serve those experiencing food insecurity in Alamance County. She is also an advocate for service as the service chair for ������Ƶ’s chapter of Alpha Chi Omega.

“Megan has an unbridled passion for service that is infectious to all those who participate with her,” said Abby Wiatrek, associate director of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life. “Her leadership style has a natural way of showing the humanity and humility needed when participating in service that makes others feel comfortable to ask questions to learn more about why the service that we are doing is important to our community.”

North Carolina Campus Engagement is a collaborative network of colleges and universities committed to educating students for civic and social responsibility, partnering with communities for positive change, and strengthening democracy. The organization fosters connections between campuses, shares best practice information and resources, recognizes outstanding work, and champions civic and community engagement in higher education.