Despite a mix of rain and sunshine, staff members in Student Life and Residence Life worked to make the Move-In Day process as seamless as possible for students and their families. Student organizations and 乱伦视频 Athletics teams also lent a hand, helping unload vehicles and carry students鈥� belongings into their new homes.

Familiar items in a new home

For many members of the Class of 2030, those belongings include more than the essentials for college life. As they begin a new chapter at 乱伦视频, students brought photographs, books, keepsakes and other reminders of the people and places they call home.

Ale Furano 鈥�30 arrived at 乱伦视频 from Greenwich, Connecticut, with three Polaroid photos of his family and friends. A Communications Fellow who plans to study sport management, Furano said he is looking forward to the opportunities ahead.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to meet new people and have a great opportunity and a new way of life,鈥� Furano said. 鈥淚 think the opportunities at 乱伦视频 are really great, especially in the sport management field.鈥�

Avery McTigue 鈥�30, who plans to study nursing, is looking forward to joining clubs and organizations and exploring study abroad opportunities. Among the items making her new room feel more like home is an 乱伦视频-themed Jellycat plush toy with a special connection to her friends.

鈥淭he special item I brought from home is my 乱伦视频 鈥楯ellycat,鈥欌�� said McTigue, who is from Bergen County, New Jersey. 鈥淢y friends threw a 鈥榖ed party鈥� for me, and it reminds me of them. Basically, they decorate your whole room, and it鈥檚 all 乱伦视频 stuff.鈥�

For George Schneider 鈥�30, from Seattle, Washington, the move to 乱伦视频 meant finding room for his vinyl collection. Schneider chose 乱伦视频 because of its acting program. The Princeton Review recently ranked 乱伦视频 No. 1 for Best College Theater, while The Hollywood Reporter included 乱伦视频 on its list of the “25 Best Drama Schools in the World.”

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited to be independent and expand on my training,鈥� Schneider said. 鈥淚 brought my record player and about 20 of my records. I knew I wasn鈥檛 going to bring a lot for my room, but I wanted to bring something to remember home by.鈥�

An avid reader, Ryan Parker 鈥�30, who plans to study journalism, made sure one of her books made the trip from Dallas, Texas. For Parker, attending 乱伦视频 also means experiencing a new part of the country.

鈥淚 chose 乱伦视频 because I felt it was the best for me, and I felt it would be a good transition as well,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淚鈥檓 most excited to meet new people, especially being from Texas and being in a different part of the country.鈥�

A class from around the world

The students arriving on campus bring a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and academic interests. Members of the incoming class come from 40 states and Washington, D.C., as well as 19 countries, including Singapore, Spain, Norway, Canada, Serbia, South Korea, China and New Zealand.

The most represented states are North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Illinois.

Fourteen percent of incoming students are the first in their families to attend college. The class also enters 乱伦视频 with a strong academic record, with an average high school GPA of 4.09.

Students are bringing a broad range of academic interests to campus. The 10 most popular intended majors among incoming students are psychology, finance, biology, business analytics & AI, marketing, nursing, exercise science, elementary education, sport management and political science.

Several programs are seeing notable increases in interest compared with last year鈥檚 incoming class. The number of new students intending to major in elementary education increased 41%, while finance increased 39% and biology increased 16%.

The community classroom experience

Those statistics are reflected in the individual journeys bringing students to 乱伦视频.

Alexis Jacobs 鈥�30 of Westport, Connecticut, was drawn to the university because of its size and sense of community. To personalize her new space, Jacobs brought handmade frames filled with reminders of the people, places and experiences important to her.

鈥淚 made these frames with different prints, photos, places I鈥檝e been and family members,鈥� Jacobs said.

Peter Matijevic 鈥�30, who plans to study business analytics and applied mathematics, brought a reminder of his Massachusetts roots: a Drake Maye NFL jersey.

鈥淚t reminds me of Massachusetts and my favorite NFL player,鈥� Matijevic said. 鈥淚 chose 乱伦视频 because it鈥檚 a beautiful campus and has small classes, so I could get to know my teachers.鈥�

乱伦视频’s teacher-scholar-mentor model among its faculty is a touchstone of the university’s academic experience. For five years in a row, 乱伦视频 has been ranked best in the nation for undergraduate teaching, and The Princeton Review recently ranked the university as No. 4 Best Classroom Experience.

Following Move-In Day, students attend New Student Orientation, including New Student Convocation on Saturday, Aug. 22.

The Princeton Review has again featured 乱伦视频 in a popular college guide that annually recognizes excellence in dozens of categories, with the university placing among the top 25 schools in 15 categories and in the top 10 of eight categories, including #1 Best College Theater.

乱伦视频鈥檚 profile in 鈥溾�澛爄ncludes more than a dozen recognitions:

• #1 Best College Theater
• #4 Best Classroom Experience
• #6 Best Student Support and Counseling Services
• #6 Best College Dorms
• #8 Happiest Students
• #9 Most Beautiful Campus
• #9 Everyone Plays Intramural Sports
• #10 Their Students Love These Colleges
• #11 Best Campus Food
• #12 Best Career Services
• #12 Best-Run Colleges
• #18 Most Active Student Government
• #23 Professors Get High Marks
• #24 Best Quality of Life
• #25 Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation

The Princeton Review chose the 392 colleges for the book based on its surveys in 2025-26 of 2,000 college administrators about their school’s academic offerings. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges in the book who rated their schools on dozens of topics and reported on their campus experiences at them. Only about 14% of America鈥檚 nearly 2,800 four-year colleges are in the book.

“We are delighted to name 乱伦视频 one of our Best Colleges for 2027, and we recommend it to students searching for their 鈥榖est-fit鈥� college,鈥� said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and lead author of The Best 392 Colleges.聽 “乱伦视频 has outstanding academic programs; we also took into account the candid feedback we received about it from its very own customers鈥攊ts enrolled students.”

The rankings are entirely based on the company’s surveys of students attending the schools in the book who reported on their campus experiences at their schools. Surveys of 172,000 students (about 439 per school on average) were tallied for the rankings in The Best 392 Colleges.

Information on the for the rankings and the student is published in the book and on .

Select Responses Cited in 鈥淭he Best 391 Colleges鈥�

• 乱伦视频 provides “meaningful access to professors, research opportunities, internships, and leadership roles early鈥hich allows (students) to explore their interests in practical, hands-on ways.鈥�
• 鈥淓veryone from the most esteemed professors to our incredible dining hall workers, to the student life staff, to our groundskeepers鈥澛爄s described as 鈥渢he most incredible support system.鈥�
• Faculty are “highly experienced and enthusiastic” who do “constant check-ups and meetings with you. They want to make sure that you鈥檙e not only succeeding in their class, but also having an amazing, enriching time in college.鈥�
• Students praised the small class sizes, which allow for bonding聽鈥渨ith both my professors and my peers, and it gives me more opportunities for success.鈥�
• 乱伦视频’s experiential learning model provides an opportunity “where students can use both classroom learning and real-world experience to understand the information being taught.鈥�
• Students highlighted the university’s “strong culture of involvement” where “students are constantly balancing academics with leadership roles, service organizations, research, athletics, and creative projects, and that energy creates an environment where it feels normal to want to do big things.鈥�

About the Princeton Review

The Princeton Review (), founded in 1981, is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep, admission services, school rankings, books, and other resources. Headquartered in New York, NY, it is not affiliated with Princeton University, and it is not a magazine.

The Best 392 Colleges is the 35th annual edition of The Princeton Review’s flagship college guide which debuted in 1992. It is one of more than 150 Princeton Review books in a published by Penguin Random House. The book and its annual student-survey-based college rankings have been featured on NBC TODAY more than two dozen times over the years and referenced by media from NPR to The Wall Street Journal and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The annual recognition honors emerging public relations professionals making their mark on the industry in the early stages of their careers. For Gibson, the recognition gave her a chance to appreciate how much she and HCM have grown in a relatively short time.

鈥淧RNEWS is one of the most respected platforms in the industry, so it鈥檚 an honor to be recognized,鈥� Gibson said. 鈥淚鈥檝e spent the past few years watching Hannah Cranston Media grow from a team of three to a team of more than 20, and most days I鈥檓 too deep in pitching and problem-solving to stop and think about how far we鈥檝e come.鈥�

While Gibson has built her career in public relations, many of the skills that guide her work today were developed through her experiences as a journalism major at 乱伦视频.

The Honors Fellow was heavily involved with 乱伦视频 News Network as an anchor and multimedia journalist, while also participating other immersive experiences like FreshTV. Those opportunities helped establish a foundation in storytelling that she continues to draw upon while working on the public relations side of the media industry.

鈥溌衣资悠� gave me a passion for storytelling and a tenacious curiosity, both essential to my career,鈥� Gibson said. 鈥淲orking as a reporter and anchor with ENN taught me what it takes to build a good story, and what makes people actually connect with one 鈥撀爐he human element has to come first.鈥�

That journalism background, Gibson said, has proved especially valuable as she develops stories and works directly with reporters.

鈥淚t鈥檚 shaped how I think about what a good story looks like and made me a better resource to the journalists I work with today,鈥� she said.

Following graduation, Gibson spent three years with Jennifer Bett Communications before joining HCM in early 2024 as senior manager of public relations. She was promoted to director of public relations and business development six months later.

In her current position, Gibson oversees the agency鈥檚 consumer packaged goods, women鈥檚 health and wellness client roster, with responsibilities spanning client strategy and media relations. Her work can range from developing pitch strategies with colleagues to staffing events with reporters and cultivating media relationships. 鈥淢y job changes shape depending on the week 鈥� which is one of the best parts,鈥� she said.

Gibson credits much of her professional growth to learning the importance of surrounding herself with people committed to their work and to one another.

鈥淏et on people over playbooks. In an industry built on relationships, we can teach anyone to write a pitch or find the right story 鈥� but working alongside people who are passionately determined and hungry to see their teams succeed is an irreplaceable, unteachable quality.鈥�

鈥� Amanda Gibson 鈥�21

Gibson also points to retired 乱伦视频 faculty members Rich Landesberg and Glenn Scott as influential mentors. She credits Landesberg with instilling a respect for journalism鈥檚 ability to serve communities, an outlook that has influenced the brands and people she chooses to work with. Her research with Scott examining how stories are told around major events also continues to inform her approach to identifying stories and perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked.

Those lessons, along with the relationships she developed during her undergraduate years, remain important to Gibson five years after graduating.

鈥淏eyond the classroom, the friendships and mentors I found at 乱伦视频 continue to be a bedrock of both my life and my career,鈥� Gibson said, 鈥淚鈥檓 endlessly grateful for my time Under the Oaks.鈥�

乱伦视频 will soon welcome the Class of 2030 on Friday, Aug. 21, for Move-In Day, and 乱伦视频 Campus Safety and Police have provided information on changes in traffic and available parking areas.

All new students and families must report first to the central check-in at Schar Center. All incoming traffic should travel to Schar Center from the northern entrance to campus along North Williamson Avenue. At Schar Center, students will receive orientation materials and directions to their move-in location for their residence hall. Please follow the聽driving directions to the Schar Center and then to your Residential Neighborhood.

Due to the logistics related to Move-in Day, 乱伦视频 faculty and staff are asked to carpool if possible and to park in the following lots on Friday. The lots are highlighted in yellow on the map below.

• Koury lot
• Oaks lot (parking for staff working at Schar Center Check-in)
• Arts West
• South Campus (no parking in the spaces reserved for Acorn Academy at 乱伦视频)
• Station at Mill Point

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• What to know for 乱伦视频 Move-In Day 2026
• Opening Day 2026: 乱伦视频 celebrates progress and success while mapping the path ahead

As the Class of 2030 arrives on campus and begins their four years at 乱伦视频, current 乱伦视频 students offer their advice to the incoming class.

乱伦视频 will welcome more than 1,600 new students for the 2026-27 academic year, with the Class of 2030 moving to campus on Friday, Aug. 21.

Parker Sterling 鈥�28

Major(s): Biology and History
惭颈苍辞谤蝉:听Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Peace and Conflict Studies
Hometown: Randleman, North Carolina
Campus Involvement:聽Phoenix Racing Team (Business Lead), Residence Life (Senior RA), Center for Leadership (Leadership Ambassador), Glen Raven Biomechanics Lab (Lab Assistant)

Why did you choose 乱伦视频?

“I chose 乱伦视频 because I knew after the first tour that I couldn鈥檛 imagine myself anywhere else. I loved being able to have majors across disciplines, the campus, the dorms and all of the people I met.”

What did you wish you knew as a first-year student?

“I wish I knew how common it is to gain and lose friends in the first year. Everyone is discovering who they are and who they want to be, so it may take a while to find friends that you can rely on.”

What advice do you have for the incoming 乱伦视频 Class of 2030?

“Take every opportunity that presents itself; you never know who you will meet or what doors it will open.”

What surprised you most about college?

“I was most surprised by the bonds I鈥檝e built with faculty and staff. I didn鈥檛 have a high school teacher I felt was truly a mentor, but 乱伦视频 has given me so many people that I feel confident going to for advice.”

What is your favorite part about 乱伦视频?

“My favorite part about 乱伦视频 is the people. I am forever grateful to the amazing friends who have supported me and cared about me to no end. I don鈥檛 want to imagine what college would be like without them.”

Ari Verinder 鈥�28

Major(s): Biology (Concentration: Biotechnology/Molecular Biotechnology)
惭颈苍辞谤蝉:听Chemistry and Food Studies
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Campus Involvement:聽Residence Life, Club Climbing and The Writing Center

Why did you choose 乱伦视频?

What did you wish you knew as a first-year student?

“I wish I had known to get more involved in my specific interests on campus sooner. There really is something for everybody at 乱伦视频; you just have to find it, get involved, and, best of all, enjoy it!”

What advice do you have for the incoming 乱伦视频 Class of 2030?

What surprised you most about college?

What is your favorite part about 乱伦视频?

“Don’t be afraid to meet new people. 乱伦视频 is small enough that it’s easy to just stick with who and what you already know, so push yourself outside of your comfort zone.”

-Ari Verinder 鈥�28

Ella Stewart 鈥�27

Major(s): Dance Performance & Choreography, English (Concentration in Creative Writing)
Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina
Campus Involvement:聽Student Union Board (Brand Engagement Chair), New Student Orientation (Student Coordinator), Kappa Delta member and The Writing Center.

Why did you choose 乱伦视频?

“I chose 乱伦视频 because I knew I wanted to make close connections with my professors and classmates, which made the small class sizes very appealing, and 乱伦视频 has a strong Performing Arts department, which aligns with my future career goals of being a professional dancer. I also knew I wanted to study abroad and 乱伦视频 offers so many opportunities to study around the world. Additionally, I was drawn to the College Fellows program, which is a scholarship program where I conduct a research project within my major throughout my time at 乱伦视频.”

What did you wish you knew as a first-year student?

“I wish I had known that not every moment of college is going to be absolutely perfect. It’s easy to have high expectations that everything will go smoothly all the time, and while there will be plenty of great experiences and memories, there will also be challenges. It’s completely normal to struggle sometimes, and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.”

What advice do you have for the incoming 乱伦视频 Class of 2030?

“My biggest piece of advice is to put yourself out there! I made my closest friends at 乱伦视频 by just inviting myself to hang out with them. It can feel awkward and scary at first to ask people to hang out with you, but it really makes a difference. If there is someone in your class who you think you’d get along with, ask them to lunch or coffee! You can also meet people by getting involved in clubs and organizations, so sign up for what interests you. Getting involved helped me find my place on campus, so be open to trying everything, because that is how you can find your community.”

What surprised you most about college?

“I was most surprised by the amount of independence and freedom I suddenly had. It can be hard to adjust to being away from your family and the comfort of home, but you also start learning how to manage your own time and responsibilities. My schedule looked a lot different than it did in high school, and I became the one in charge of how to spend my time. This shift surprised me at first, but overall it helped me grow into my independence and become more confident doing things on my own.”

What is your favorite part about 乱伦视频?

“My favorite part about 乱伦视频 is the people I’ve met through my majors and leadership experiences, especially the mentors who have supported me along the way. The staff and faculty here are so kind and encouraging to each individual student, and their guidance has helped me grow in my academics and in my leadership. 乱伦视频 has given me a tight-knit community of peers and mentors I can rely on, and I have met so many people who have shaped me into who I am today.”

---

Lealand Oakes 鈥�27

Major(s): Psychology
Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Campus Involvement:聽New Student Programs,聽Women’s Club Rugby
Sigma Kappa,聽乱伦视频 1010 Peer Educator,聽Psi Chi and Psychology Honor Society

Why did you choose 乱伦视频?

“I chose 乱伦视频 because they genuinely care about every student, even if they haven’t fully invested in 乱伦视频 yet. They put so much care into just the admissions process and first-year experience to ensure people feel cared about and seen. Of course, it doesn’t stop there; professors are always there to help and support their students, get to know them beyond the surface level, and truly want to see them succeed.”

What did you wish you knew as a first-year student?

“I wish I knew that sometimes the hard parts of transitioning to college don’t hit you immediately. They look different for everyone and can range anywhere from after the first month has passed to the start of the second semester and beyond. Everyone has their own experiences, so it is important to know your resources on campus and have people you can go to when those bumps in the road happen.”

What advice do you have for the incoming 乱伦视频 Class of 2030?

“Get out of your room, do new things, be involved. This can look different for everyone, but it’s so helpful for finding your people in this new chapter. I would also say that taking care of yourself is so important. Holistic wellness goes a long way in college. If you are taking care of one aspect of wellness that can bleed into another area. Do things that make you happy, take care of your body and use your resources.”

What surprised you most about college?

“I was surprised that I was still able to get the same support in class and out of class that I had the opportunity to receive in high school. I was worried that as soon as I got to college, everything would be on me. I can say with full confidence that I have not needed to shoulder everything all on my own. 乱伦视频 has so many resources that cover a wide range of aspects of college life.”

What is your favorite part about 乱伦视频?

“My favorite part about 乱伦视频 is that there are so many people from so many different places. Coming to 乱伦视频, I didn’t really know many people, and I am so happy that was the case. It was nerve-racking for sure, but it meant that I have learned so much and met so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

As digital editor at WUSA-TV, a CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., Rosenthal handles a wide range of responsibilities, from writing for the station鈥檚 website and producing social media content to gathering sources and reporting in the field. The journalism major said she fell in love with news reporting when she was in high school, which led her to apply to 乱伦视频.

鈥淚 joined my high school newspaper club in ninth grade, and it was the 2016 election season,鈥� Rosenthal recalled. 鈥淭here was a ton of news, and I got the 鈥榥ews bug,鈥� and I’ve been doing it ever since.鈥�

At 乱伦视频, Rosenthal found opportunities through student media to develop her reporting skills outside the classroom.

鈥淚 feel like the hands-on experience that I got working with my peers and friends, and actually going out and doing reporting, and putting together a paper every week showed me more of the skills that I use on a day-to-day,鈥� Rosenthal said.

She also credits The Pendulum鈥檚 critique sessions with teaching her how to receive feedback and use it to improve her work.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to qualify a mistake or qualify a reason why you did this or that,鈥� Rosenthal said. 鈥淲hat I learned so much from critique was how to take feedback and move forward and use that in the next piece. Now I鈥檓 somebody who asks for feedback all the time because, I think, in part, because of those critiques.鈥�

Those lessons have followed Rosenthal into her professional career. Earlier this year, she spent three weeks covering a murder trial in Fairfax, Virginia, an assignment she described as a significant learning experience.

鈥淢y station sent me to a murder trial in January, and I spent three weeks covering a very high-profile case every day in court, and that has been a huge learning and teaching moment for me,鈥� Rosenthal said. 鈥淚 feel like I learned so much from covering this trial, especially as somebody who has covered many court hearings and smaller things.鈥�

For current 乱伦视频 students interested in journalism, Rosenthal recommends getting involved in student media early and pursuing the subjects that interest them.

鈥淢y biggest advice is to be involved in student journalism,鈥� she said. 鈥淛ust start doing stories and meeting people and doing things that are out of your comfort zone. When I was at 乱伦视频, I was interested in courts. I would go to the courthouse in Graham to pick up court documents for stories, and go to the police station, and pick up crime numbers, and things like that. If there’s something that you’re interested in, just start doing it.鈥�

Like Rosenthal, Phengsitthy discovered her love of writing through her high school newspaper, where she served as editor-in-chief. She brought that interest to 乱伦视频, double majoring in Communication Design (now Visual Communication) and Media Analytics while becoming heavily involved with 乱伦视频 News Network.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been a writer,鈥� Phengsitthy said. 鈥淚 know that people don鈥檛 really like talking about high school when they talk about their experience, but high school is when I really started.鈥�

Phengsitthy served as design chief of The Pendulum during her sophomore year and managing editor as a junior. She credits those experiences with providing the foundation for her professional journalism career.

Everything I did in 乱伦视频 News Network is what set me up for my journalism experience today. I joke with my friends that ENN was like my third degree in college because I got so much done and learned so much there. From just writing every single day, that’s what helped me get better.

鈥� Nyah Phengsitthy 鈥�23

While at 乱伦视频, Phengsitthy interned with Bloomberg Law on its environment desk. Following graduation, she returned to the organization through a rotational program and now works as a health reporter. In that role, she has covered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, drug pricing and other complex issues affecting the pharmaceutical and health care industries.

Her work at Bloomberg Law requires reporting on complex subjects, but Phengsitthy said young journalists shouldn鈥檛 feel pressure to become experts on every topic they cover. Instead, they should focus on developing the skills necessary to find knowledgeable sources, understand complicated information and explain it clearly to readers.

鈥淏e an expert in being a reporter and writing and learning how to break down information for your readers,鈥� Phengsitthy said.

Phengsitthy also encourages 乱伦视频 students to complement their campus journalism experience with internships that allow them to apply their skills in professional settings.

鈥淵ou can have all the skills, and you can have all the clips that you have from ENN, but it鈥檚 more powerful if you go and get to apply them somewhere else,” she said, noting the value of internships. “The more experience you have, the better.

鈥淭he job market is really hard right now, but I feel like if you鈥檙e able to show that you can get your foot in the door somewhere, that鈥檚 good.鈥�

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While many students are away for the summer, July remained a busy month at 乱伦视频. Student researchers shared the results of projects driven by curiosity and purpose, high school students experienced campus through summer programs and the university continued to welcome visitors for camps and community events. Take a look back at some of the month鈥檚 highlights through the eyes of the staff in University Communications.

乱伦视频 Engage

The Engage program at 乱伦视频 provides an opportunity for incoming students to spend a week on campus before their first semester, learning more about the university and volunteering in the local community. It is聽one of 乱伦视频鈥檚聽First-Year Summer Experience (FSE)聽programs, which聽gives incoming 乱伦视频 students a preview of the university during the summer before their first semester

Adventures in Leadership

Another FSE program, Adventures in Leadership, allows incoming first-year students to explore the outdoors across North Carolina.

A combined College Coffee

乱伦视频 faculty and staff visited Queens University for a day of collaborative learning, professional development and Queens’ first-ever College Coffee event fostering connection and community between both institutions.

Research together

More than 50 乱伦视频 and Queens University of Charlotte students came together for the annual Summer Undergraduate Research Experience presentations on July 23 in Schar Hall.

The largest Odyssey

乱伦视频鈥檚聽Odyssey Program welcomed its largest cohort in history during Odyssey Week, a collection of events that introduces the students to the scholarship program and college life.

Phoenix Summer

乱伦视频 hosted its inaugural Phoenix Summer residential camp this month for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in preparing for the transition to college.

Twenty-six students participated in Phoenix Summer, held July 6-17 on 乱伦视频鈥檚 campus, where they immersed themselves in hands-on, college-style academics while fostering curiosity, community and independence.

Off-the-Court

Seven incoming first-year students explored careers in the sport industry this summer through the Off-the-Court First Year Summer Experience, an immersive program designed to help students discover where they fit in the business of sport before declaring a major.

Led by sport management faculty members Cara Lucia and Khirey Walker, participants toured 乱伦视频 Athletics facilities, connected with alumni in Charlotte, toured Truist Field, home of the Charlotte Knights, and visited organizations such as the Carolina Core Elite Training Center and the Burlington Sock Puppets, gaining firsthand insight into the many career paths within the sport industry.

The impact of reading

For Lyric Gregory 鈥�28, that impact is measured one child, and one book, at a time.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing. I feel like I鈥檓 making such a big difference,鈥� said Gregory. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 actually contributing to making Alamance a little bit better.鈥�

Gregory, a psychology major from Virginia Beach, Virginia, is spending his summer as an intern with Alamance Partnership for Children, a nonprofit organization serving young children and families throughout Alamance County. He supports the organization鈥檚 efforts to provide supplies to families in need, advance literacy initiatives and redesign its library and children鈥檚 area.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really cool feeling to give a child a book and see their eyes light up,鈥� Gregory said. 鈥淚 never thought kids would be so excited to see books. There was this one kid, just seeing the joy on his face when he asked his mom, 鈥楲ook, they鈥檙e going to have books. Can I have one?鈥� It hit me in the feels.鈥�

Launched in 2021, Campus Alamance connects 乱伦视频 students with paid internships throughout Alamance County while helping build a pipeline of talent for local organizations. Since its launch, 97% of participants have reported their internships were valuable to their professional development.

Gregory has long been fascinated by psychology and hopes to become a child therapist. He said the internship has strengthened his passion for helping others.

鈥淚鈥檓 already motivated, but it motivated me even more to continue to pursue psychology, because I鈥檓 looking at people in this office who still have the same passion as me, and they鈥檙e making a difference,鈥� he said.

鈥楻eal time鈥� experience

Like Gregory, McKenna Blount 鈥�27 entered college with an interest in psychology. A psychology major with minors in and criminal justice studies, Blount wanted an internship that combined both fields but initially struggled to find opportunities that fit her interests.

Through the Student Professional Development Center, she connected with the Campus Alamance Program and secured an internship with the Burlington Police Department, where she works with both the Aerial Reconnaissance & Tactical Intelligence Center (ARTIC), and the Crime Scene Investigation unit.

鈥淚鈥檝e had a lot of broad experience in the police department,鈥� said Blount, who is from Raleigh. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e super flexible, just letting me have as much experience that I possibly can.鈥�

In ARTIC, a real-time crime center, Blount assists officers by monitoring camera systems and databases during active investigations. In the Crime Scene Investigation unit, she observes investigators and gains firsthand experience with forensic work.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know how interested I was in the law enforcement aspect of things,鈥� said Blount. 鈥淚 thought I was more interested in the psychology aspect. It鈥檚 really nice to meet people outside of the 鈥樎衣资悠� bubble.鈥欌��

Connecting the community and history

Katie Baylett 鈥�27, a strategic communications major from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, is also gaining hands-on professional experience through Campus Alamance as a social media intern for the Alamance Historical Museum.

鈥淭he internship has helped me know how to work and navigate in a professional environment,鈥� Baylett said. 鈥淚 took a class at 乱伦视频 where we briefly touched on the local history and the textile industry history of Alamance County specifically, but this has really given me hands-on experience and helped me connect with the local community and also just connect with the local history.鈥�

Baylett develops the museum鈥檚 social media content calendar, creates photo and video content, updates the museum鈥檚 website and assists with an email marketing campaign. A key part of her role is translating the work of museum staff into engaging, accessible content for the public.

鈥淢y classes at 乱伦视频 have helped me know how to create a social media calendar and have helped me know how to navigate a wide variety of systems that I am using with my internship,鈥� she said.

Internships are a central part of the 乱伦视频 experience. Through the university鈥檚 Experiential Learning Requirement, students must complete two of five 乱伦视频 Experiences: internships, service, leadership, undergraduate research or global engagement.

For Blount, the internship has also changed how she sees the community surrounding campus.

鈥淵ou take the same three roads to get where you need to go as an 乱伦视频 student, and I had no idea how much more goes on in Burlington,鈥� Blount said. 鈥淭his internship has really benefited my professional career development.鈥�

In the fall, the team traveled to the 2025 NIRSA nationals tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, to compete against other clubs from all across the country and represent 乱伦视频. The appearance marked one of the highest achievements in the club’s history and highlighted the program’s continued growth.

Following the fall season, the team made a statement as semifinalists in the Spring 2026 Collegiate Club Soccer tournament. The team finished second in the North Carolina West Division and secured a sixth-place post-season ranking within Collegiate Club Soccer.

Despite falling short of finals, the players were proud of what they accomplished.

鈥淎lthough we fell short, semi-finalists was the kind of statement performance we were aiming for,” said Club Vice President Noah Vienne. “We know we are one of the smaller schools in the league, but we have a competitive group of guys, and we know we鈥檙e capable of competing with the bigger schools. It鈥檚 a testament to the program that鈥檚 been built on and off the field by guys in the past.鈥�

There were many factors that led to the club having this end to the Spring 2026 season.

鈥淎 big reason for the success is because we have created a great culture within the team,” said Club President Logan Corriveau. “No matter what class year or major, we are always finding time together both on and off the field. Throughout the season, I have been able to speak to alumni, which has provided a great perspective on how the team has continued to grow and become more competitive.鈥�

With these recent successes, the club has no plans to slow down.

鈥淪ixth is great, but we鈥檙e keeping a lot of players going into next year, and we plan to take the team to the next level,” Corriveau said. “We are absolutely going to push to win it all this year.鈥�

After representing the university on the national stage and making an impressive postseason run, the team will return this fall looking to continue raising the standard for the program.

Alongside this infographic, these stories highlight some of the positive impact across campus through community partnerships during the past academic year:

• 乱伦视频 receives Carnegie classification for community engagement
• 乱伦视频 recognized for advancing nonpartisan student civic engagement
• 乱伦视频 creates community through Special Olympics and 乱伦视频 Athletics partnership
• Turning service into impact: How an 乱伦视频 alumna is bringing Alamance County together
• Literary Journalism class engages Town of 乱伦视频 mayor in civic dialogue
• Writing for Impact students secure funding for local nonprofit
• Showing up, growing together: Inside KING/PINK Academy鈥檚 power of mentorship
• Students reflect on service, community and connection during Fall Break
• New HealthEU course encourages students to go 鈥榖eyond the 乱伦视频 bubble鈥�
• 乱伦视频 empowers staff to make an impact in the community through paid volunteer leave