Andy Griffith’s well-known acting career began at Carolina, a path he described during a 1978 University Day speech in Memorial Hall. (Submitted photo)

Few entertainers have stayed in the nation’s collective conscience like Andy Griffith ’49. Griffith is best known for his warm and wise television portrayals of Sheriff Andy Taylor and lawyer Ben Matlock.

Griffith began his days as a Carolina student on July 19, 1944.

That day he wrote a letter from his room, “3 Steele Dormitory,” to his parents in Mount Airy, North Carolina. He sounds already enamored with campus life. He mentions a fellow student, a blind boy with a “fine tenor voice” and “a bunch of boys in front of our dormitory singing.” “I think I shall like it here,” he writes.

In August, Griffith sent his parents a postcard featuring Memorial Hall, presaging his first moment on its stage. “I go by this building every day on my way to work,” a reference to his job at Swain Hall, where he bussed tables.

By fall the next year, he was acting on Memorial Hall’s stage in a Carolina Playmakers production of “Gondoliers.”

Griffith described that first performance in a 1978 University Day speech on that same stage. The Carolina Alumni Review’s account by Jim Hughes tells how Griffith moved from a series of jokes that had the scholarly audience laughing to a heartfelt remembrance. “Then, with perfect timing, the jokes stopped and Andy turned serious. ’I want to tell you something,’ he said. The room grew silent.” Griffith said that as he neared the building, “it was all I could do to fight back tears. And the reason was I knew I was going to walk up on this stage, and this is the stage where the first time in my life I was ever in a play.”

As a music major, Griffith played piano, and his bass voice headlined departmental concerts in which he sang classical tunes by composers Verdi and Dalayrac. He starred in Carolina Playmakers productions, was Glee Club president and joined Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity.

After graduation, Griffith taught high school music in Goldsboro, North Carolina, for three years while honing his storytelling and acting skills, notably starring as Sir Walter Raleigh in the long-running production of “The Lost Colony” outdoor drama on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. His 1953 comedy recording “What is Was, Was Football” moved him in big-break fashion to the “Ed Sullivan Show.” He then starred in “No Time for Sergeants” on TV and in the show’s Broadway and movie versions. In the 1957 movie “A Face in the Crowd,” his tour-de-force portrayal of Lonesome Rhodes shows the scope of Griffith’s acting abilities. His movie career includes 2007’s “Waitress.”

His folksy, fatherly manner anchored television’s “The Andy Griffith Show,” set in the fictional North Carolina town of Mayberry. It ran for eight seasons from 1960 to 1968, and re-runs have aired ever since. He had further success on “Matlock” with nine seasons beginning in 1986. One of his last TV appearances was in a 2001 episode of “Dawson’s Creek.”

Griffith sometimes sang and played guitar on “The Andy Griffith Show,” and recorded 16 musical albums, including 1996’s Grammy-winning “I Love to Tell the Story.”

In 1972, Griffith established a scholarship fund in his name for promising dramatic art and music students at Carolina. In 2005, Griffith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush, but closer to home, he was one of the first three recipients of the Carolina Performing Arts Lifetime Achievement Awards. That same year, he donated his collection of career memorabilia, including a guitar, to the Southern Historical Collection at Wilson Library.

Griffith died in 2012 at age 86 and was buried on Roanoke Island.

By Scott Jared, University Communications and Marketing

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Duncan’s own introduction to the classic tale was through a 1990s television miniseries. (Submitted photo)

With the blockbuster film adaptation of “The Odyssey” hitting theaters July 17, historians and ancient Greek mythology scholars are anticipating renewed interest in the classic story among younger audiences.

Al Duncan, associate professor in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’ classics department, is eager to see the film and how it might affect cultural discussion around Homer’s 3,000-year-old epic poem.

Duncan shared his thoughts on the movie, its online reception and how film and television can be effective tools for introducing these classic stories to new generations.

When did you first discover “The Odyssey”?

Funny enough, it was an NBC television miniseries. I’m a millennial, and this was in the 1990s with Vanessa Williams as Circe and Armand Assante as Odysseus. That was actually one of my first exposures to the ancient Greek world.

While I eventually learned to love the original story once I read it in high school, that miniseries sparked an interest in classic myths for me.

For many younger audiences, the upcoming film adaptation of “The Odyssey” will be their introduction to Homer’s epic poem. How do you feel about that?

I feel great about it. “The Odyssey” is something that has been passed down through oral traditions, and we don’t know if Homer was one person or a group of individuals over the centuries. There have always been reinterpretations of the story.

The fact that it’s still resonating 3,000 years later is incredible. I feel great that there are still new points of entry for new audiences.

There has been much discussion of “historical inaccuracies” leading up to “The Odyssey,” particularly regarding the casting. What do you make of that?

I do find it ironic that there are seemingly no Greek actors in the cast. Aside from that, I welcome the broad representation in the diverse cast that some people seem to have taken umbrage with.

Homer believed that the gods traveled to Europe, Africa and all across the western Mediterranean, so I think the cast represents the universality of the tale.

What do film adaptations of classic myths often get wrong?

I think they actually get a lot right because they connect with people in the moment and with the things that interest them. “The Odyssey” survived because people liked hearing this story. It was the movies, the podcasts or the video games of its era, so for it to find its way into those forms of media today feels completely appropriate to me.

But if the adaptations lose one thing, it’s often the poetry and sublimity of the original work. A fast-paced film isn’t going to capture some of the moments of pathos or the emotional highs that you get from reading the text.

What should viewers keep an eye out for in “The Odyssey”?

I’d encourage audiences to pay attention to what makes Odysseus both extraordinary and deeply human. At its core, “The Odyssey” is about “nostos” — the Greek concept of returning home after war — and the choices Odysseus makes along the way. His wit, bravery and recklessness can seem larger than life, but they’re also qualities we recognize in ourselves. More than anything, I’d encourage people to follow whatever captures their attention. The beauty of the ancient classics is that they’re so rich and complex that people are still finding new ways to interpret them thousands of years later.

By Josh McCormack, University Communications and Marketing

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Jason Franz (photo by Donn Young)

Jason Franz, professor in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, was recently selected as the president-elect of the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB). This honor reflects his dedication to biomechanics community and the confidence of his peers in his vision for the future of the field.

ASB is one of the world’s leading professional organizations dedicated to advancing the study of human movement, biomechanics and rehabilitation engineering. Established in 1977 to encourage increased communication between biomechanists, the society now includes more than 1,000 members across multiple disciplines. Members work to improve understanding of biological systems through problem-solving, research, instruction and application in clinical settings.

Franz will serve a one-year term as president-elect before assuming the presidency. He will help guide the organization’s strategic direction and advance its mission to promote excellence in biomechanics research, education and professional development.

As director of the Applied Biomechanics Laboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill, Franz leads an internationally recognized research program focused on the biomechanical and neuromuscular mechanisms underlying mobility decline, falls risk and rehabilitation outcomes. His work integrates motion analysis, biomedical imaging, wearable sensing, machine learning and computational modeling to improve mobility and independence across the lifespan. His election reflects both his longstanding commitment to the biomechanics community, and the confidence of his peers in his vision for the future of the field.

In his nomination statement, Franz outlined several of his priorities for ASB. They include strengthening mentorship and professional development across career stages, amplifying the contributions of ASB’s affinity groups and supporting a more connected and engaged network of regional chapters. Franz also aims to expand entrepreneurial training and industry engagement opportunities, creating scalable pathways for learning and collaboration around emerging technologies.

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On a sunny Saturday afternoon, you might find Jennifer Smith walking through the woods. (Submitted photo)

Pull up a Chair is an intermittent series that introduces new department chairs across the College of Arts and Sciences. We congratulate these chairs on their new positions, which they assumed on July 1, and we look forward to the leadership and creative insights each will bring to their department.

For this installment of Pull up a Chair, we caught up with Jennifer Smith, the new chair of the linguistics department.

Tell me about your area of research and what drew you to do this at Carolina?

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguists investigate the principles by which people construct and understand words, sentences and conversations — as well as how these largely unconscious abilities develop in children, change over time and interact with social and cultural factors. My own research focuses on the structure of speech sounds. For example, how do people adapt the pronunciation of words that are borrowed from other languages (like karaoke or hors d’oeuvres), and what does that tell us about the cognitive system of language? I was excited to join the department of linguistics at Carolina because it is a wonderful place to work with linguists who specialize in different aspects of language but find points of connection and collaboration with one another.

In just a few sentences, what makes your department special or unique?

Because human language can be studied in many different ways, linguistics builds a bridge between the humanities and the social and natural sciences. Our department conducts research and offers classes in ancient writing systems, child language acquisition, computational approaches to language, speech acoustics, sentence structure and meaning, fictional languages, language disorders and language in society, just to give a few examples.

What’s coming up for the linguistics department this year that you are excited about?

We are planning a workshop in collaboration with linguists at the University of Tübingen in Germany, one of UNC’s global partner institutions. We have two new colleagues starting their second year in our department and continuing to develop new courses and opportunities for students. Our M.A. students will organize our annual Spring Colloquium with an invited speaker and a poster session. And, as always, our faculty and students will be applying for grants, presenting at conferences and pursuing all kinds of research projects!

If you had to choose just one, what’s been the favorite class you’ve taught? What made it special?

This is a hard question to answer, because I really enjoy teaching all my classes. I love to dive into linguistic theory, and I like teaching courses that make connections between linguistics and issues outside the field. My favorite course right now might be LING 225, “Busting Language Myths,” where students summarize and present research articles that support or disprove pop-culture ideas about language. It’s so much fun to see the articles that students choose to work with, and it’s very rewarding to watch their research abilities grow over the semester.

Who in your life has inspired you? How?

I have been inspired by many people! My fifth-grade teacher, Mary Barker, sparked my love of languages when she taught us songs and sayings from languages she had encountered in her travels. My high school history teacher, Steve Fiske, taught us to not just read documents but to consider who wrote them and why. My first linguistics professor, Abby Cohn, combined crystal-clear teaching with fascinating concepts that were all new to me. My Ph.D. advisor, John McCarthy, was a role model for crafting research papers with good writing and strong arguments. And my colleagues and students are continuous sources of inspiration through the creativity and enthusiasm they bring to their projects.

Where is your favorite place on campus? Why?

My third-floor office has a wonderful view of an enormous oak tree. Looking out the window at the green leaves, the birds and squirrels, and sometimes even a raccoon is a great way to catch my breath and get ready for the next thing.

It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon. Where would we find you?

I might be at home cooking something fun or catching up around the house. Or, I might be out with my family — maybe hanging out at the public library or walking on a trail through the woods.

Interview by Calley Jones, College of Arts and Sciences

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Caterina Gallippi is the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State. (photo by Megan Mendenhall/UNC Research)

The biomedical engineer in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering uses ultrasound technology to see disease sooner and more clearly.

Caterina Gallippi joined UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005 and is now the William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State.  She also serves as associate chair for research and directs the NIH T32 training program in Unified Medical Ultrasound Technology Development (UNMUTED).

Her work advances ultrasound-based approaches to monitor a range of conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders, kidney disease and breast cancer.

What brought you to Carolina?

I came to North Carolina to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, with a focus on medical imaging. I chose Duke University because of the opportunity to work with Gregg Trahey, whose leadership in medical ultrasound shaped my research interests and drew me into the field.

After completing my degree, my husband and I chose to remain in the state because we loved the Triangle — the proximity to both mountains and coast, the climate, and the strength of the local community — and couldn’t imagine building our lives elsewhere.

Just before graduating, I received an NIH SBIR Phase I grant and spent a year leading development and early commercialization of a novel ultrasound method through a startup I founded. Although the company is no longer active, it provided invaluable experience in innovation, translation and leadership.

That experience, combined with my focus on medical imaging at a time when the UNC Biomedical Research Imaging Center was just beginning to form, strengthened my candidacy. I was fortunate to become a member of the biomedical engineering faculty in Chapel Hill.

How has your role here changed over the years?

My role has evolved substantially since I started as an assistant professor. While my lab’s core focus remains ultrasound elasticity imaging — a noninvasive method for measuring tissue stiffness and fluid thickness — our research has expanded from a narrow focus on stroke risk to a broad portfolio spanning musculoskeletal disorders, kidney disease, and breast cancer.

Early on, I focused on building clinical collaborations. I searched NIH databases for UNC-Chapel Hill researchers using ultrasound and reached out directly. That approach led to a key connection that helped secure my first major grants, which focused on imaging plaque build-up in the carotid arteries to assess stroke risk.

From there, my research expanded significantly. My lab extended our methods to study a variety of muscular conditions and began applying ultrasound to kidney transplantation to develop early indicators of graft health.

At the same time, my responsibilities have expanded into leadership and service. I’ve served as director of graduate studies, where I led a program review and curricular updates, and I now direct the UNMUTED NIH T32 training program. I am also stepping into the role of associate chair for research.

Beyond Carolina, I’m active in the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society and will serve as general co-chair of the 2026 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium in Raleigh.

I also founded the Ultrasound Research Association of North Carolina, which now connects 17 labs across multiple universities and includes more than 100 trainees. It has grown into a highly collaborative regional ecosystem — and to my knowledge, there is no comparable concentration of ultrasound expertise in the U.S.

What’s kept you at Carolina?

Several things. The research community here is uniquely collaborative, and my work has benefited from colleagues across disciplines who are generous with their expertise. We also have outstanding students and postdoctoral scholars. Working with them and helping launch their careers is incredibly rewarding.

Carolina also invests in research infrastructure and resources. Just as importantly, the work produced here has a real impact — improving lives in North Carolina and beyond. That combination of collaboration, talent, and impact is hard to find anywhere else.

What contribution are you most proud of?

I’m proud of both my trainees and our research. Mentoring graduate students in my lab has been especially meaningful — helping them grow into confident, independent investigators is incredibly rewarding.

Through the NIH T32 program, I’m also proud to help create an environment that trains students not just to invent new ultrasound technologies, but to translate them into clinical use and, ultimately, bring them to patients.

At the same time, I’m proud of the technologies my group has developed and advanced into clinical research. These tools have the potential to improve how diseases are detected and monitored. I also hope that sharing this work has helped spark new ideas across the engineering and clinical communities.

What is a uniquely Carolina experience you’ve had?

As a Duke graduate, I never imagined I’d be cheering for the Tar Heels — but that’s been one of the many pleasant surprises of being here. I’ve enjoyed supporting Carolina, whether watching games at home or attending events on campus. I also appreciate the everyday moments, like walking to the Old Well and sitting under the shade of a big oak tree. When my kids were younger, weekends often included trips to Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, followed by a stop on Franklin Street. Those experiences, big and small, have made Carolina feel like home.

Rooted recognizes long-standing members of the UNC-Chapel Hill community who have aided in the advancement of research by staying at Carolina. They are crucial to the UNC Research enterprise, experts in their fields, and loyal Tar Heels. 

By UNC Research

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Matt Hallyburton ’07 is a potter, working in the Catawba Valley style using traditional methods and materials. (Submitted photo)

Matt Hallyburton ’07 grew up in Rutherford College, North Carolina, a town of 1,200 people where the Piedmont’s rolling terrain begins rising to the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a kid, he explored the woods and the water, then backpacked and hiked as a teenager.

The Catawba River flows through the area, and the valley spans several counties and adjoining areas between Hickory and Morganton. The region has a rich pottery history.

“During the 1800s and 1900s, pottery was booming in Vale, near Hickory,” Hallyburton said. “Dozens of pottery shops were there. The particular clay that comes from the Catawba River, and then the ash glaze used here and the kilns here, all lend themselves to this unique style of Catawba Valley pottery.”

For the past eight years, Hallyburton has been a full-time potter. He creates high-fired functional pottery like dinnerware in that style, while also experimenting with art pieces and new forms.

“But it was not on my radar from an early age,” he said. As a child, he was exposed to pottery by an aunt who collected pottery and took him to sales. “Maybe it was seeping into my subconscious and I didn’t know it.”

After high school, he enrolled at Carolina and majored in psychology in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences. In his junior year, he and his aunt attended a North Carolina Museum of Art pottery exhibition of pieces from around the world. “It was eye-opening. That’s where it all started to click,” he said. There, he met Mark Hewitt, a renowned potter whose studio is in Pittsboro, near Chapel Hill.

As a senior, Hallyburton chaired a committee for the Frank Porter Graham Student Union’s permanent art collection. The group visited artists across the state, including Hewitt. They bought a 4-foot tall jar from Hewitt and exhibited it on the second floor.

Hallyburton spent time with Hewitt, learning ceramics and helping fire kilns. He took classes at the Durham Arts Council, bought a pottery wheel and built a studio at his Durham home.

But with plans to attend graduate school, he found a job related to his degree, coordinating tobacco research studies at Duke University Medical Center’s psychiatry department. He threw pieces in Durham, drove them to Rutherford College to fire in a kiln on his mother’s property, then returned for work on Monday.

Friends like MJ Sharp ’07 (MFA), a former Carolina art teaching assistant, encouraged Hallyburton to become a full-time potter.

His big break came when Durham’s Piedmont restaurant placed an order. Other restaurants followed. Chef Sean Brock ordered dinnerware for three Husk locations. “I was like, ‘Well, this is happening.’ If it doesn’t work out, I can always go back to research, but I’ll give it a try,” Hallyburton said. Other chefs began collaborating with him on design and glaze. “That’s always rewarding,” he said.

Fulfilling those early large orders with a small wood kiln was challenging. Firings took hours and often required help from friends.

When back-and-forth trips became too demanding, he and his partner, Sandy, moved to Rutherford College in 2019.

He took six months off to build a large wood kiln that holds 600 pieces and a gas kiln for 60. “I felt comfortable doing it. But there’s still this, ‘Oh, my gosh, I haven’t made money in months’ feeling. When those first pots came out, I was anxious to get them out for sale,” he said.

The wood kiln is his favorite firing method. After glazes have cooled and he fires it up, flame and ash shape the final surfaces.

The quality of Hallyburton’s work and his customers’ appreciation sustain him. “The pottery tradition here is world-class. We need to keep highlighting and reinforcing it, so it won’t be lost.”

By Scott Jared, University Communications and Marketing

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The Institute for the Arts and Humanities and Carolina Public Humanities are thrilled to announce the inaugural cohort of the Public Humanities Connectors initiative, Brett Whalen and Tanya Shields.

Whalen is a professor of history and Shields is an associate professor and director of undergraduate and studies of the women’s and gender studies department.

The Public Humanities Connectors initiative pairs UNC-Chapel Hill faculty with CPH’s programming team to bring humanities research to public audiences across North Carolina. Each Connector will co-create three public-facing programs over the course of the semester, experimenting with formats that make academic work accessible and relevant for communities locally and statewide.

Whalen is a historian of medieval religion and culture. Last year, he took on the lead editorship of Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture, now based at UNC-Chapel Hill. As a Connector, Whalen will develop programming that opens up the rich history of Christianity — from the medieval world to the present — to broader public audiences, drawing on the depth of expertise across Carolina’s departments of history, religious studies, and art history.

Shields is a scholar whose work traces how race and gender have shaped power in labor relations from the plantation era to the contemporary workplace. Her current manuscript, Gendering the Manager: Metaphor and Memory on Plantations Owned by Women, examines female plantation owners through archival, literary, and cinematic lenses — and connects that history to modern questions about authority and work.

By Lila Davidson, Institute for the Arts and Humanities

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For this installment of Pull up a Chair, we caught up with CAPT Andrew Cain, the new chair of the Department of Naval Science. 

CAPT Andrew Cain stands with binoculars around his neck atop the USS Ohio while mooring in Apra Harbor, Guam. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. James Caliva

Tell us a bit about your career so far? What drew you to Carolina? 

I’m a career Naval Officer, having served on five submarines and commanded both USS HELENA and USS OHIO. My favorite part of the job is training and mentoring young people and watching them grow into confident, capable leaders. The opportunity to come to Carolina and be part of the NROTC program seemed like a perfect fit.

In just a few sentences, what makes the naval science department special/unique?

Beyond the unique history of the Naval Armory, I think it’s the fact that the department is comprised of students who have decided to serve a higher calling in defense of our Constitution.

What’s coming up for the naval science department this year that you are excited about?

Thanks to the incredible partnerships with the Military & Veteran Student Success Center, our Alumni Association, and the UNC admissions staff, our unit has increased by 70% in the past two years. We look forward to more growth as the Nursing program expands on campus as well. (The School of Nursing is expanding its enrollment and the ROTC units on campus are working with the School in hopes of offering an additional allotment of scholarships for Nurse Corps candidates in the future.)

What is one stand-out experience that members of the NROTC have while they are a Tar Heel? 

Each summer, NROTC students spend time with Navy and Marine Corps units around the world. These aren’t your typical internships; our students are getting underway on nuclear submarines and surface vessels, flying in naval aircraft, and training alongside United States Marines in the field. These real-world experiences help our students grow professionally and determine which area of service they would like to pursue upon graduation.

Who in your life has inspired you? How?

I don’t think I can say just one person, but I’ve always admired people who display grit and fortitude in the pursuit of what’s right regardless of their circumstances, criticism, or the odds they face.  I’m a big fan of the “Man in the Arena” quotation by Teddy Roosevelt.

Where is your favorite place on campus? Why?

Any of the athletic facilities. I played baseball in college and seeing student athletes compete is always a great reminder of how much fun it was and of the positive impact that being a teammate has had on my life.

It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon. Where would we find you? 

A baseball game!

Interview by Natalie Vizuete, College of Arts and Sciences 

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Isla Mclaughlin supports transportation and logistics operations for national teams during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta, helping ensure a seamless experience behind the scenes. (Submitted photo)

As the world visits North America this summer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, some Tar Heels are helping make the historic event happen.

The Well spoke with a Carolina student and an alumna who are working in different capacities during the games to learn more about their roles and how Carolina has prepared them for this experience.

Isla Mclaughlin is a junior sports administration major in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Mclaughin is a transportation coordinator for team hotels in Atlanta. In her role, Mclaughlin supports transportation operations for participating national teams throughout the tournament.

Mclaughlin first learned of this opportunity while volunteering at the Sport Positive Summit in London last year.

“I was incredibly excited by the chance to contribute to the logistics and operations of a global sporting event while gaining hands-on experience working behind the scenes at one of the world’s largest sporting events,” she said.

She works closely with departments including fleet, bus operations, security, logistics and client services to ensure smooth team transportation between hotels, training sites and match venues.

Mclaughlin is also the primary transportation liaison for the Uzbekistan National Team at their hotel, helping manage schedules, communication and operational needs to ensure the team’s experience runs seamlessly throughout the competition.

“I hope I can take away a deeper understanding of how a global sporting event operates behind the scenes, mainly in logistics, transportation and team operations. I’m excited to learn from experienced professionals, contribute to creating a seamless experience for participating teams and continue developing the skills needed for a long-term career in international sport event management,” said Mclaughlin. “I’m thrilled to be part of an event that brings together people and cultures from around the world through sport and to experience the energy and impact of the World Cup firsthand.”

Read more about a UNC School of Education and UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media alumna who is also working the World Cup.

By Caroline Daly, University Communications and Marketing

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After initially attending the University of Southern California, rising senior Moore found her way back home to Carolina, where she now balances her studies in exercise and sport science with leadership roles across campus. (Submitted photo)

For many Tar Heels, their collegiate journey doesn’t begin at Carolina.

Students transferring from other universities or community colleges make up about 900 of Carolina’s admitted students each year. Many rely on the assistance of the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program, a pathway for community college students to transfer to and graduate from Carolina.

“C-STEP’s work matters because it provides access and opportunities to students who may not have otherwise seen Carolina as an option,” said Brian Woodard, C-STEP’s senior assistant director of admissions.

C-STEP guarantees admission to talented, low-to-moderate-income students who earn an associate degree at one of 14 community colleges across the state, providing dedicated advising, mentorship and a seamless transition to a four-year degree.

Since 2006, C-STEP has helped over 2,100 students with their transition to Carolina. This includes rising senior Cecilia Moore, whose journey to Chapel Hill was particularly unique.

A longtime Carolina fan who grew up in Durham, Moore applied to Carolina but was placed on a waitlist. Soon after, she applied and was accepted to the University of Southern California.

“The day I graduated high school, I found out I was off the waitlist and got accepted into UNC,” Moore said. “But at that point, I had already committed to moving to Los Angeles and had even picked all my classes. The timing was just not great.”

That fall, Moore settled into life as a Trojan, earning good grades and getting involved across campus. But deep down, something was nagging at her: She knew she was a Tar Heel.

Just before her sophomore year at USC, she told her parents she didn’t want to go back.

“During that time, I started to look into classes in Carolina’s exercise and sport science program,” Moore said. “I was talking to faculty members who would eventually become my professors at Carolina. They really inspired me to give Carolina another shot.”

After a semester at Durham Tech, she applied to Carolina again and was accepted. This is where C-STEP came into Moore’s life.

Once accepted, students like Moore begin academic advising, attend specialized orientations and map out the coursework needed to complete their associate degree.

“They really reassured me,” Moore said. “It was nice to know that I wasn’t alone and that there was a program for someone in my unique situation.”

On top of her studies in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, Moore has dedicated much of her time to various clubs and extracurricular activities. She’s a performance nutrition intern for the Carolina football team and vice president-elect of the Theta Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She’s also served on the executive board for Women in Sports Elevate, a club dedicated to uplifting students pursuing careers in sports.

“Students like Cecilia have shown a great ability to overcome various obstacles,” Woodard said. “Their unique experiences and backgrounds help to strengthen the campus community.”

Moore plans to continue her education in physical therapy and see where her Carolina experiences take her. Being a transfer student helped instill that optimistic mindset.

“I’ve learned that uncertainty is OK,” Moore said. “I have grown a lot from previously being a person who would freak out about not knowing what was going to happen day to day. Carolina taught me that there are so many paths my life could take.”

Her sister’s path also led to Carolina, eventually. “My sister actually wound up transferring from the University of Pittsburgh to Carolina herself,” she said. “My mom always says she knew that we were supposed to be Carolina girls.”

By Josh McCormack, University Communications and Marketing

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