"Do Something Bigger Altogether"

My original summer plans were to visit several colleges with my nephew visiting from Rhode Island to help him understand that he needs to find colleges that are an academic, social, and financial fit for him. We managed to squeeze in one visit to UNC Greensboro (UNCG) mainly because I have students interested in UNCG and I wanted to visit the International Civil Rights Center & Museum (ICRCM), also in Greensboro. “Doing something bigger altogether” describes the philosophy of UNCG and this is evident throughout the campus.

Arriving a little early for our tour, we spent some time in the Elliott University Center (EUC), a beautiful, light-filled building that is the home of UNCG’s bookstore and a Starbucks, among other student services. Decorated with artwork depicting literary works and authors, we grabbed a quick snack in Starbucks (his first visit to a Starbucks) before the information session began.

Joining about forty other tour participants in the Dail Room of the EUC, an enthusiastic Josh Artrip, assistant director of admissions, introduced the group to UNCG through video and a short talk with a Q & A session.  Then we were off with our student tour guide; our guide was Lauren, a rising senior majoring in speech pathology with a minor in human development and family studies. We had beautiful weather for a tour, none of that humidity that makes you feel like you are wearing one of those suits designed to make you sweat while you try to lose weight.

Here are a few highlights about UNCG that we learned during the information session and tour:

  • UNCG in 3 provides a pathway to graduate in 3 years. Designed for highly motivated students, with at least 12 transferable college credits and majoring in selected areas, this option allows students to save time and money.
  • The Lloyd International Honors Program offers motivated students opportunities for honors coursework, travel abroad, and housing. Click here for admission requirements.
  • The Education Trust, a leading education advocacy organization in Washington, DC, recognizes UNCG for its works in increasing the graduation rate for black students.
  • UNCG is one of 3 North Carolina institutions with membership in the Folger Institute “a dedicated center for advanced study and collections-focused research in the humanities at the Folger Shakespeare Library”.
  • The Supplemental Instruction Program (SIP) offers additional support for selected courses, mainly in the sciences. The supplemental instruction sessions are led by SIP leaders who completed the courses successfully.

Following the tour, we had ample time to continue meandering around the campus; we ended up at Yum Yum’s, a local ice cream and hot dog establishment that’s been around since 1906.  Cash only and no denominations higher than $20 are the rule if you want some of their delicious homemade ice cream.

Leaving campus (thanks for the validated parking), we ventured downtown to visit the International Civil Rights Center & Museum (ICRCM). Walking down Elm Street, we peered into the windows of the many shops and restaurants that beckoned to be explored on our next trip to Greensboro. Our destination, located a mile from campus, was a fascinating journey into a period of history that changed America.  The International Civil Rights Center & Museum, formerly a F.W. Woolworth’s, has preserved the lunch counter where four students from North Carolina A & T University began a nonviolent protest to integrate that lunch counter and other establishments in 1960. Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr., and David Richmond were the leaders of a movement that “history records that standing up for your rights may not require standing at all”.

From the interactive displays to the riveting video footage and photographs of moments from the Civil Rights Movement, the ICRCM gives us a place to reflect on where we have been as a nation and how far we have to go.

Visiting UNC Greensboro, a medium-sized college with beautiful landscaping, a diverse student body, and many academic offerings, was a good choice for my nephew’s first official college visit. Watching the incoming students with their families in tow scouting out items to purchase in the bookstore and seeing their joy in being on UNCG’s campus, may motivate him to think about where he would fit as a member of the Class of 2022. UNCG’s motto, Doing something bigger altogether, may become our theme as we venture into the world of college admissions together.

Scroll to Top

May 2021 Update

Professional development continues to be a major factor in my work life. With physical visits to campuses curtailed during 2020 (most are re-opening for in-person visits), I spend about 7 -10 hours per week on virtual visits with college admission counselors. The IECA, one of my professional organizations, regularly conducts College Conversations, an hour-long presentation with time built in for Q & A. To date, members of IECA had sessions with the colleges on the chart. Additionally, I added to this list by facilitating sessions in my capacity as the college counselor for the Montessori School of Raleigh where, along with the students, we learned more about UNC Charlotte, UNC Wilmington, the College of Wooster, Queens University of Charlotte, Muhlenberg, Elon, Western Carolina, North Carolina Central, the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Did you know UNC Wilmington has a major in Coastal Engineering or that Western Carolina (along with UNC Pembroke and Elizabeth City State) is a NC Promise institution? A NC Promise school’s in-state tuition is $500 while non-residents pay $2500 per semester.

Our virtual world allows for hours upon hours of accessible college information sessions. I had to step back and limit myself to a reasonable number of hours of “college visits”.

I challenge my students regularly to move beyond their comfort zone and during the height of the pandemic, I stretched myself way beyond my level of comfort. I am one of 14 co-authors of Becoming The Shero, an anthology depicting the journeys of entrepreneurs at different stages of their lives. My story is in the Embracing the Pivot section.

Another way I stay current is through my new position at Providence College. As of August 2020, I am the College Supervisor for the School Counseling Program. What does the college supervisor do? I supervise the students in the program during their 2-semester internship at a school, where they are directly supervised by their Site Supervisor, a certified professional school counselor. It is the student teaching equivalent for school counseling.

Reading is a daily pleasure for me. Here are nine books (not in chronological order) that helped me to educate myself about current events and issues of social justice:

  • Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents ~ Isabel Wilkerson
  • How to Be An Anti-Racist ~ Ibram X. Kendi
  • Stamped From The Beginning ~ Ibram X. Kendi
  • I’m Still Here ~ Austin Channing Brown
  • The Color Of Law ~ Richard Rothstein
  • We Want To Do More Than Survive ~ Bettina Love
  • Down Along With That Devil’s Bones ~ Connor Towne O’Neill
  • Interrupting Racism: Equity and Social Justice in School Counseling ~ Rebecca Atkins & Alicia Oglesby
  • Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race ~ Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D.

To stay up-to-date on trends in college, career and paying for college, see my list of books under the “Parent Resources” tab.

I challenge my students to be lifelong readers. I am practicing what I preach. What are you reading today?

Get the STEPS …

Subscribe to our newsletter. Get tips and more.