The Office of New Student Transitions and First Year Experience at UNC Greensboro recently announced that Jocelyn Marencik and Andrea Tyson have been named winners of the inaugural Keker Common Experience Scholarship.
The scholarship is awarded to select first year students who engage and excel in all four areas of the Keker Common Experience throughout the academic year. The four areas are the Keker Success Guide, Keker Speaker Visit, Keker Success Series, and Keker Common Experience Scholarship essay competition.
Marencik is a computer science major from Glen Allen, Virginia. Tyson is a pre-health studies major from Apex, North Carolina. Next year, the two Spartans will serve as ambassadors for the program as vital members of the Keker Common Experience team. Marencik’s essay – a letter to incoming first year students – will be featured on the first page of the 2020-2021 Keker Success Guide.
“Jocelyn and Andrea embody what it means to be a Spartan,” said Emily Wiersma, associate director of New Student Transitions and First Year Experience. “They have taken full advantage of their first year at UNCG, becoming deeply engaged on campus and connecting with their peers, faculty, and staff. We’re proud to present them with this scholarship and look forward to working with them in the future as we continue to develop programming for our first year students.”
The Keker Common Experience program is a holistic student success program designed to help new students transition to academic life at UNCG. This high-impact practice instills a multi-faceted approach to student success and development to empower students with the tools and skills needed to find their way here. Learn more at newstudents.uncg.edu/fye/keker/.
Intentional, individual support from faculty and staff is key for the success of first year students. Elliott Kimball, assistant director for Intercultural Engagement at UNCG, recently received the Outstanding First Year Student Advocate Award. The award recognizes and celebrates the efforts and significant contributions of UNCG faculty and staff who provide leadership in creating a positive transition to college and a successful learning environment for first year students. Read more at this link.
