Message from the Chancellor: Bridge Builders
"Soon, our next class of incoming students will receive their acceptances and those who qualify may find themselves the recipient of a scholarship named for an individual who played an important role in Carolina’s history. These need-based awards are named for Bridge Builders – people whose work, advocacy and personal example forged a more inclusive, unified and aspirational Carolina community."
Dear Campus Community,
In 2016, we announced a series of named scholarships, called Noteworthy Firsts, recognizing the service of courageous people who represent important “firsts” in our history. Today, I am writing with an exciting announcement about a new way Carolina is honoring a special group of people.
Soon, our next class of incoming students will receive their acceptances and those who qualify may find themselves the recipient of a scholarship named for an individual who played an important role in Carolina’s history. These need-based awards are named for Bridge Builders – people whose work, advocacy and personal example forged a more inclusive, unified and aspirational Carolina community.
In the fall, I asked the campus community to help me identify Bridge Builders who helped us fulfill our mission to be the university of the people. From these recommendations, a panel of our leaders identified 19 extraordinary people who truly represented the values that define Carolina.
The scholarships will recognize people like Larry D. Keith, who paved the way for hundreds of students of color to succeed in the health professions when he served as Director of the Medical Education Development program. Another example is Susie Marshall Sharp, the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Nikole Hannah-Jones – a Peabody Award-winning journalist and one of the founders of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting – is another sterling example of service to Carolina and beyond that is recognized through the Bridge Builders scholarship opportunity. A full list of Bridge Builders can be found here.
I encourage you to read the biographies of all the Bridge Builders and learn more about those who helped create the Carolina we know today. I know their stories will motivate you to succeed in your own personal journeys at Carolina.
Sincerely,
Carol L. Folt
Chancellor
