At my high school in Iowa, my graduating class had 600 students. Even there, it took me some time to find my community. So, when I got to Chapel Hill and found myself amongst 30,000 students, I did not think I would be able to find one at all. Everyone seemed to already have their friend groups, and a campus this size makes it easy to feel like just another face in the crowd. My sophomore year, I was accepted into the Luther Hodges Scholars (LHS) program, and that changed everything. Almost immediately, I found a community of like-minded peers within the business school: ambitious students who also cared deeply about helping others and solving societal problems, all driven by a mission larger than themselves. In a setting where it’s easy to see classmates as competition while striving for the best career, the Scholars showed me something different. Here it truly is community over competition.
The 10th Anniversary Reception was a celebration of ten years of exactly that. Before I entered the room, I could hear the room filled with laughter and overlapping conversations. It felt less like a formal event and more like a reunion. It was special to be in a room with so many past and present scholars. Seeing people from every class come back together showed just how much impact this program has had. What stayed with me most, though, were Rob Mazzoni and Dr. Allen’s remarks. Their words showed me how this community doesn’t just happen by accident. It has been built intentionally, by people who believed in what this program’s mission and what the students can achieve.
Finally, thank you to Dr. Allen, Phil, Meghan, Keith, and Jennifer for fostering such an incredible community. You guys are the reason we look forward to events like this one, and the reason so many of us want to stay connected to the program long after we join it.
The LHS program has shown me that even in a campus filled with 30,000 students, you can still find a place that feels like home when you find the right people. To every scholar, alum, mentor, and supporter: you are as much a part of this community as it is a part of you. So, keep showing up for each other because without you, there would be no anniversary to celebrate.
