Sonny Griffith seated at a table in a library in front of a laptop

Following the Narrative

A Carolina Covenant Scholar pursues career-enhancing experiences through the Career Accelerator Program.

David Routh stands in the center of his family holding the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award with Eddie Smith Field in the background.

‘Uplifting future generations’

The David and Jenny Routh Blue Sky Scholars Fund honoring the vice chancellor for development and his wife will support 12 students a year in perpetuity.

An up-close portrait of DeCarlos Hickson in front of the Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill

A Carolina to Hollywood Dream

Watch this inspiring Carolina Story to see how DeCarlos Hickson '20 went from working as a security guard while attending community college to a career in animation at a global entertainment company. He now serves on the Carolina Covenant's Alumni Advisory Board.

An action shot of Gigi Cloney wearing boxing gloves

‘Serendipitous’ Support

Support from the Blue Sky Scholars program arrived just when this public policy and German double major needed it.

Bettie McKaig and Ross Vaughan pose in front of the ocean in the Galapagos

From loss to legacy

Carolina alum Ross Vaughan discusses the substantial gift he made to UNC-Chapel Hill in honor of his late wife’s legacy.

Rick Margerison and his wife in a portrait photo.

The Power of a Scholarship

A scholarship helped Rick Margerison ’70 graduate from Carolina with minimal debt. Decades later, he and his family have established scholarship funds to help current Carolina students do the same.

Carolina Covenant alum Larry Thi poses outside in front of a wooded park.

Strengthening Alumni Connections

As the first chair of the new Carolina Covenant Alumni Advisory Board, Larry Thi is helping to strengthen alumni connections, events and services.

Carolina Covenant Scholar Juan Castro sitting with a laptop on his lap.

Belonging and Empowerment

The Carolina Covenant helped Juan Castro '22 feel like he belonged in Chapel Hill. Now, the senior class president is serving as a mentor to younger students and an advisor to administrators as he helps create a more inclusive community at Carolina.

Ashley Medina plays the flute

A Call to Serve

With an older sister already in college and two younger siblings, Ashley Medina was excited to learn about the support for military families through the Red, White and Carolina Blue Challenge.

Peachtree Scholar Sandra Thing poses on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill.

From ATL to the Well

Meet Carolina's first Peachtree Scholar, Sandra Thiongo '23, a psychology major and member of UNC's Psych Club who is determined to make the most of her college experience.

Portrait of Whitney Nobel standing in front of the Old Well

Stepping Ahead

Carolina Covenant Scholar Whitney Noble made her way to nursing school at UNC-Chapel Hill through her own hard work and a little help from C-STEP.

Paloma Ruiz on porch

Writing Her Own Future

Chancellor’s Science Scholar Paloma Ruiz ’22 balances academic achievement, cutting-edge research, creative pursuits and campus leadership as she launches her career as a scientist.

Madyson Barber in front of a sun dail

Discovering the Answers

The Chancellor’s Science Scholars program has helped Madyson Barber ’22 as she contributes to the discovery of new planets in distant solar systems.

Maria Tiznado posing on UNC's campus

‘An asset to our institution’

“What I have learned as a Carolina student and Carolina Covenant Scholar is that where I came from is not indicative of where I will go."

Building a better future

Bank of America invests in military families, first-generation and underrepresented students, frontline health care workers and the arts.

Life … On Hold

“To be cared for by such a large institution … is such a gift.”

‘I always have a home at Carolina’

The Carolina Student Impact Fund is helping UNC-Chapel Hill students, like Michaela Barnette, a dental hygiene and anthropology double major who needed to relocate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drawn To Service

“I felt like I needed to go somewhere new so I could be challenged and grow.”

The Carolina Covenant celebrates 15 years

Through a combination of grants, scholarships and work-study jobs, the Covenant provides eligible low-income students the opportunity to graduate from Carolina debt-free.

The Full Circle of Philanthropy

“Helping others is just the right thing to do. It’s everyone’s responsibility to do what they can to make the world a better place.”

Clear goals, Carolina memories

“Without the worry of meeting payments or bogging myself in debt, I’ve been able to focus on my learning. I can work toward becoming a scientist.”

Blue Sky Scholars

“We want to recruit more of these promising, middle-income students and set them up to succeed while at Carolina and well beyond graduation."

Honoring Carolina Firsts

“Thanks to their courageous examples, Carolina moved closer to the ideal of the University of the People.”

Catching butterflies

“As temperatures have been getting warmer, what we’re predicting is that life events in animals are going to be occurring earlier..."

Dear future me

“The additional money makes a difference in the kind of environment where I can do my best…”

Pennies Make Change

“I feel very strongly about education and I am happy to be able to help someone get an education that would not go to college without aid,” the late Louise Blackman wrote in a 1987 letter to UNC.

Solving Big, Sticky Problems

“When I came to Carolina, I wanted to pick the trickiest problems out there and try to understand how you think about them,” said Ananda Day ’14, a product specialist at a 3D printing startup in Silicon Valley.

Opportunity achieved

“Donors like the Brown family are important to students like myself because they make it possible for us to fulfill our goals...”