Dear Friends,
This past spring, the Carolina Covenant held its first formal celebration for graduating seniors. As I looked across the Carolina Inn ballroom at our graduates, I felt a tremendous sense of fortune. There are few experiences more gratifying than being part of someone’s developmental journey and witnessing the culmination of their efforts, and our graduation ceremony magnified that feeling. Several graduates pulled me aside to express gratitude, noting that Carolina and the opportunities they have are only possible because of the Covenant. Celebrating this milestone with the first class I welcomed when I started as director in 2019 is a moment I will never forget.
As a friend to our program, I want you to know that you are part of these moments, too. I invite you to share in our excitement about the growth of our Carolina Covenant alumni engagement and career development initiatives. I share with you the strength of our community connections and targeted partnerships for mentoring and well-being. I welcome you to imagine the dozens of Carolina Covenant t-shirts, stickers, water bottles and email signatures that we see scattered across our Tar Heel landscape each day. Please know that this visibility evidences our students’ sense of belonging and sense of support at our university. Your support makes these experiences possible.
As I move into my fifth year leading this program, I can confirm that my appreciation and enthusiasm for this work only grow stronger. We are looking forward to the 20th anniversary of the Covenant in 2024 and engaging in strategic planning for the future. We are working with key collaborators to develop a data-informed roadmap to provide the highest quality support in the most critical areas of need for our current scholars and those deep in the pipeline to Carolina. I look forward to sharing updates with you as we move forward. Thank you in advance for joining us on this path and for helping us ensure that our Covenant is one we enhance and keep for generations to come.
Sincerely and with gratitude,
Candice Powell ’06, ’21 (PhD)
Director of the Carolina Covenant