Dr. Christie Poteet Selected for 2025 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service
Dr. Christie Poteet, assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of North Carolina Pembroke, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service, the highest honor bestowed upon state employees in North Carolina.
Father and Son Share Spotlight at Spring Commencement
Don “Big Weather” Schwenneker has delivered forecasts for decades — predicting storms, sunshine and everything in between.
Father and son share spotlight at Spring Commencement
Don “Big Weather” Schwenneker has delivered forecasts for decades — predicting storms, sunshine and everything in between. But there was one life milestone he couldn’t predict: graduating from college side-by-side with his son, Mason.
First-gen students find success, sense of belonging at UNCP
When Armani Jones-Elliott came to UNC Pembroke as a freshman three years ago, she felt alone and overwhelmed with insecurity. Though academically gifted, Jones-Elliott doubted her abilities, which is common among first-generation college students. “As a freshman, you are scared,” she said. “But as a first-generation student, it’s on another level because you don’t have anyone with (college) experience who can advise you.”
UNCP spotlights Brenda Chavez Soriano in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, UNC Pembroke proudly recognizes junior history major Brenda Chavez Soriano. Soriano, a Maynor Honors College student, stands out in the classroom and the campus community, assisting with coordinating Hispanic heritage events, among other duties as chair of the Hispanic and Caribbean American Heritage Committee.
First-generation UNCP student inspired by parents to become immigration lawyer
A daughter of Mexican immigrants, Magally Ortiz-Rojas has witnessed firsthand the hardships and struggles of family and others in the Hispanic community in their pursuit of U.S. citizenship. Ortiz-Rojas––a future change agent and immigration law advocate––aspires to become an attorney to assist others in navigating the path to naturalization. She wants to discover ways to eliminate financial and language barriers that her family fought to overcome.
Family affairs: Mother, son and husband, wife to cross UNCP stage together
Janett Nunez-Meza didn’t speak English when she immigrated to North Carolina from Nicaragua 16 years ago with her husband and five-year-old son. Her husband was hired by Smithfield Foods. Janett worked in fast food and picked blueberries before landing a job in the migrant education department with Bladen County Schools. She worked up to the state level but always dreamed of becoming a college graduate.
UNCP awards 1,181 degrees at Fall Commencement
Eric Perez Velazques was beaming with pride moments after crossing the stage during Fall Commencement at UNC Pembroke on Saturday. Velazques became the first in his family to earn a college degree, a reality he thought unattainable while growing up in neighboring Columbus County.
UNCP celebrates the First-Gen experience
UNC Pembroke is celebrating our first-generation Braves Nov. 8-11 with events, workshops, resources and a “Voices of First-gen” exhibit in the University Center showcasing our first-gen faculty and staff. “As a first-generation student myself, I am excited to have the opportunity to celebrate our first-generation students and I’m so proud of them and all their successes,” Dalton Hoffer, assistant director for Transition Programs, shared.
UNCP students, faculty share experiences at First Gen Summit
Being a first-generation college student brings an overwhelming sense of pride. On the other hand, forging a new path as the first in the family to attend college can also invoke feelings of uncertainty, and even guilt. Students and a faculty member from UNC Pembroke were among dozens of attendees who shared these and other personal stories during Class Action’s eighth annual First Gen College Student Summit. The event was held remotely in November.