Greetings from your chair: Barb Lee ’88

Wow, we've seen some challenges here at UNC, but with a new year comes renewed opportunity as well.

The truth is, the only thing constant is change, right? It’s inevitable, but even when it catches us by surprise, we still have the opportunity to embrace something new and grow as a result. Yes, it’s challenging, but I can’t think of anyone in our ACRED community who shies away from a challenge. Let’s go.

First,let us continue to remember the family and friends of one of our own, Faith Danielle Hedgepeth. She was a member of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of Hollister and active with UNC’s American Indian Center, the Carolina Indian Circle and Alpha Pi Omega Sorority. She came to Carolina on the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship and planned to be a doctor one day. We know her family will have a long road of grief ahead, so I encourage all of us to check in with the American Indian Center to see if there is anything we can do for them, or for her case. Losing her is a tragic loss for all of Carolina.

I’d also like to ask that we join together and thank Chancellor Holden Thorp and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bruce Carney for their leadership and dedication to UNC. They steered the helm during some very difficult times here at UNC, and while we’re sorry to see them go, they deserve our best wishes and our clear gratitude. Let’s reach out to them and wish them well as they return to academia and to their passion for advancing the scholarship at Carolina. Because of their devotion, UNC is still an amazing place to teach, learn and discover.

This is evidenced by the newest members of our UNC community, the members of the Class of 2016. I’m sure we all agree that interacting with current UNC students is one of the perks of serving with ACRED. Meeting these incredible young people makes it clear that Carolina is still a top choice for the best and the brightest. As these student Tar Heels learn, we learn. As they triumph, we celebrate them and remember that they are central to what makes this university great. So are you.

As spring approaches, there are tons of activities going on all over campus. From Carolina Performing Arts’ “Rite of Spring” and a plethora of exhibits and performances at the Stone Center to performances and workshops focused on traditional Afro-Puerto Rican music, there is something here for everyone. Then there's Commencement, where we congratulate another outstanding class of Tar Heels-The Class of 2013.

Yes, we’ve got some serious challenges to overcome. That’s true. And that is exactly why Carolina needs us now more than ever. Resources are stretched thin and access to the great education we had is threatened, so let’s stand up and do our part. Let’s start by taking time to become informed about UNC, and then getting involved and invested right now.

Barb Lee '88
Chair
Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity

The Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity is dedicated to serving Carolina’s multi-cultural communities by engaging diverse alumni in the life of the university, and forging deeper and lasting relationships between Carolina and its minority constituents.

Four sub-committees—the African American, Asian, Latina/o and American Indian—join together to generate new leadership roles and funding opportunities critical to Carolina’s ambition to lead all public universities into the future of true excellence in higher education.

Carolina’s student body becomes more diverse with each entering class, creating a richer and more dynamic academic experience for all students. Every group is unique in its history, traditions, background and experiences, but all are woven together to form the very fabric of this great institution.

We invite you to reconnect with your Carolina experience and to discover today’s university as well by becoming involved with the committee’s efforts.