Carolina girl, best in the world!

Growing up with a passionate Carolina alum for a mother, I was raised a Tar Heel.

Despite my brief rebellious stint of attending a few games at the red school that shall remain unnamed, Carolina was always the school I wanted to attend. My mom is still in contact with her friends from UNC and attends the homecoming game with them annually. I grew up surrounded by this display of Carolina spirit without fully realizing the true meaning of being a Tar Heel.

With my brother, Kyle, and sister-in-law, Sarah, being Appalachian State graduates, the UNC-App football game is like a national holiday. My mom, Kim, and I root for UNC while Kyle and Sarah root for App, with my dad as the question mark in the middle. My dad says it best “I have to live with Kim, so in this game, I will proudly support the Tar Heels”. Whether he is supporting the Tar Heels because of my mom or because I am secretly his favorite child, the world may never know.

In January, I had the opportunity to speak on a student-athlete panel at the Carolina Alumni Board Meeting. Alongside Dorrit Eisenbeis , Christopher Holliday , Carson Overbeck, Grant Pierce , and Jameson Charles, we represented rowing, field hockey, football, volleyball, men’s lacrosse and soccer, and shared our experiences being student-athletes at UNC. Afterwards, I contacted several board members asking to connect and hear about their valuable experiences graduating from such an incredible institution.

To say I was met with the most gracious, heartwarming, and open-armed responses would be an understatement. I was shocked at the number of people willing to take time out of their busy schedules to join a Zoom meeting or grab a bite to eat with me. Notably, Veronica Flaspoehler , Natalie Best , Jennell McIntosh PT, DPT , Lou Patalano , and Chuck Wallington, Ph.D. .

The more I thought about this, the more I realized this is what the Carolina Spirit is all about. A community of people, passionate about their alma mater and willing to support anyone simply because they graduated from the same University.

Now, I recognize this is my biased Carolina blue perspective. This feeling of school comradery happens everywhere. My situation and these memories may not be unique to me and this school, but they are certainly a special part of my journey growing up.

I would love to hear a meaningful memory that captures your college community spirit!?