It started as a conversation between friends. A memory from the Ecuadorian Amazon. A question asked after a trip that left them curious about guayusa, a leaf long consumed by Indigenous communities for focus and energy. It had become months of supplier calls, product tests, faculty feedback, formulation decisions and late nights spent figuring out how to turn a shared vision into something real.

Now, the plant-based energy drink they built together is ready for distribution and is being sold at The Oak House at Elon.

For Vargas-Lopez and Chiriboga, the milestone carries them back to McEwen Dining Hall on campus, where their friendship began during their first year at Elon in 2022.

Chiriboga, an entrepreneurship major from Quito, Ecuador, and Vargas-Lopez, a sport management major from Austin, Texas, quickly connected over language, culture, soccer and a shared curiosity about the world. They became close friends long before they became business partners.

The idea for YAPA came later, after Chiriboga brought Vargas-Lopez to visit his home country during Thanksgiving break of their sophomore year. It was Vargas-Lopez鈥檚 first time in South America, and the trip included time in the Amazon rainforest, where the two were struck by what Chiriboga describes as the 鈥渋mmensity鈥� of the Amazon, from its abundance of life to the plants that have long shaped daily living in the region.

鈥淲e came back from visiting the Amazon forest and were just talking through the trip,鈥� Vargas-Lopez says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when the idea came out. What if we took one of those plants and built a drink around it?鈥�

That question became YAPA, a plant-based energy drink made from guayusa and a larger idea of giving people something more than expected.

The company鈥檚 name comes from an Andean expression. In Ecuador, 鈥測apa鈥� refers to a small token added with generosity. At a market, it might be an extra piece of fruit. At a family table, it might be a little more food on someone鈥檚 plate.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a little extra you were not expecting,鈥� Chiriboga says. 鈥淭hat is what we want the product to feel like.鈥�

Building From the Ground Up

Once the idea took hold, Vargas-Lopez and Chiriboga began studying the beverage industry, talking with community members in Ecuador, seeking feedback from mentors and testing whether their concept could become a real business.

They were drawn to the growing interest in cleaner, more transparent beverage options.

鈥淚 think the issue we were looking at was the energy drink industry and what a lot of those products contain,鈥� Chiriboga says. 鈥淲e saw people looking more for clean-label, natural ingredients and more transparency in what they consume.鈥�

That focus helped define YAPA鈥檚 direction. They describe the drink as plant-based and made without preservatives, with an emphasis on ingredient transparency, quality and sourcing. Its ingredients include guayusa along with hibiscus, turmeric, ginger, prebiotics and electrolytes, each chosen with a purpose.

For the founders, the product also carries a connection to the place that inspired it.

We came back from visiting the Amazon forest and were just talking through the trip. That鈥檚 when the idea came out. What if we took one of those plants and built a drink around it?聽鈥斅燘ernardo Vargas-Lopez 鈥�26

In the Amazon, Chiriboga says, guayusa is traditionally consumed in community. People gather early in the morning, drink together and share their dreams before beginning the day. The leaf is associated with focus and energy, but not the jittery rush often linked with conventional energy drinks.

鈥淚t gives you that mental clarity and that energy that you need without being hyper,鈥� Chiriboga says.

Turning that inspiration into a company required more than enthusiasm. The two spent months working through sourcing, formulation, packaging, shipping, pricing and compliance while balancing college life.

They also made early decisions about where they would not compromise, even when higher standards meant harder financial choices.

鈥淲e decided there were a few strategic points where we would not go for lower quality,鈥� Chiriboga says. 鈥淪tarting from ingredients and sourcing, we were not going to sacrifice what the product stands for.鈥�

Asking the Right Questions

Both founders say their experience in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business gave them the confidence to approach YAPA not as a finished idea, but as something to test, refine and keep improving.

They turned to faculty members including Sean McMahon, professor of entrepreneurship; Elena Kennedy, associate professor of entrepreneurship; and Brittany Mercado, associate professor of management and chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.

鈥淭he ability to communicate clearly with people who know a lot more than we do has been huge,鈥� Vargas-Lopez says. 鈥淭he Love School of Business does an amazing job of making professors approachable.鈥�

As YAPA developed, informal conversations became intentional. They stayed after class, brought specific questions to faculty and connected what they were learning in their courses to the choices they were making for the company. The feedback was not always easy, and that was part of its value.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 need people to just cheerlead,鈥� Vargas-Lopez says. 鈥淲e need people who will tell us what worked, what didn鈥檛 and how to improve. That鈥檚 what has really helped us move forward.鈥�

Their time studying abroad also shaped the venture. Chiriboga was in Japan while
Vargas-Lopez was in Australia, making day-to-day operations difficult, so they used the distance to listen.

鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 really work on operations, so the only thing we could do was talk to people,鈥� Chiriboga says.

They spoke with people in the Amazon, professionals at large companies and mentors in finance, gathering insight before returning to campus.

鈥淲e were sponges during that time,鈥� Chiriboga says. 鈥淲e just gathered as much information as we could.鈥�

A Friendship First

Before they were co-founders, Vargas-Lopez and Chiriboga were friends. They built the kind of trust that later became essential to starting a company together. When one person could not take on a task, the other stepped in. When the work became overwhelming, the friendship helped steady them.

鈥淚f I cannot do something right now, I know Juan Daniel can do it, and vice versa,鈥� Vargas-Lopez says. 鈥淭hat trust was built before the business.鈥�

Living together strengthened that rhythm. It also taught them the importance of boundaries.

鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten really good at knowing when to talk business and when not to,鈥� Chiriboga says. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 not working time, we try to focus on being friends and being present with other people.鈥�

For Vargas-Lopez, the partnership has been less about dividing every task evenly and more about sharing responsibility over time.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not always 50-50 all the time,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut we know we鈥檙e in this together, and that makes it easier to handle everything that comes up.鈥�

For Chiriboga, building YAPA with his best friend has been one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more grateful that my best friend is also my business partner,鈥� he says.

Now based in Austin, Vargas-Lopez and Chiriboga are carrying YAPA into its next stage. The venture that started as a conversation between friends has become something people can open, taste and share.

The process has changed how they think about risk, learning and what it means to build something from scratch. It has also reinforced the value of starting before everything feels certain.

鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to start,鈥� Chiriboga says. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 believe in yourself, no one else will.鈥�

Vargas-Lopez says the venture has taught him to stay open to what others know and humble enough to keep asking questions.

鈥淯se your resources,鈥� he says. 鈥淎sk questions. Learn from every conversation. We haven鈥檛 had a single meeting where we didn鈥檛 learn something.鈥�

For more information, including ticket details, please visit
elon.edu/speakerseries and .

Fall Convocation with David Brooks

Bestselling author, staff writer for The Atlantic and longtime New York Times columnist

Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, 3:30 p.m. | Alumni Gym,
Koury Athletic Center, Elon, N.C.
福利亚洲国产精品 Speaker Series

David Brooks is a leading observer of American culture, politics and civic life. Over decades in journalism, his columns have become some of the most widely read in the nation, offering insight into political dynamics, social trends and the challenges facing modern democracy.

Common Reading Lecture with Hanif Abdurraqib

Cultural critic and author of 鈥淭here鈥檚 Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension鈥�

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, 7:30 p.m. | Alumni Gym,
Koury Athletic Center, Elon, N.C.
福利亚洲国产精品 Speaker Series

Hanif Abdurraqib is widely recognized for his lyrical and deeply personal writing that explores music, identity and the intersections of culture and lived experience. 鈥淭here鈥檚 Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension鈥� was selected as Elon鈥檚 Common Reading for 2026-27.

鈥淣avigating Change, Empowering Progress: A Roadmap for Leaders Committed to Community and Democracy鈥� with the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, former
Prime Minister of Canada

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, 7 p.m. | Sandra Levine Theatre, Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement, Charlotte, N.C.
The Learning Society

In an era of unprecedented global challenges and technological change, the foundation of progress remains human 鈥� our ability to build and strengthen communities through democratic principles and shared values. Drawing from his transformational decade as Canada鈥檚 23rd Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau shares compelling insights on how leaders can foster resilient, inclusive communities that can thrive in times of opportunity and crisis.

Carol Ann Walker International Lectureship with Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter

Recipient of the Medal of Honor

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, 11 a.m. | McCrary Theatre,
Center for the Arts, Elon, N.C.
福利亚洲国产精品 Speaker Series

The youngest living recipient of the Medal of Honor, Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter was recognized for extraordinary heroism when he suffered life-threatening injuries after throwing himself on a grenade in Afghanistan to protect a fellow U.S. Marine. He is the author of the memoir 鈥淵ou Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For.鈥�

Coming in 2027

Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Address with Danielle Coke Balfour

Artist, author and social justice advocate

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2027, noon | Alumni Gym,
Koury Athletic Center, Elon, N.C.
福利亚洲国产精品 Speaker Series

A Conversation with Venus Williams

Olympian, world-renowned tennis champion and entrepreneur

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2027, 7 p.m. | Sandra Levine Theatre, Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement, Charlotte, N.C.
The Learning Society

Baird Lecture with Tim Tebow

Heisman Trophy winner, former NFL quarterback and philanthropist

Tuesday, March 9, 2027, 7 p.m. | Alumni Gym, Koury Athletic Center, Elon, N.C.
福利亚洲国产精品 Speaker Series

James P. Elder Lecture with Heather Cox Richardson

Historian and bestselling author

Tuesday, April 6, 2027, 6:30 p.m. | Alumni Gym, Koury Athletic Center, Elon, N.C.
福利亚洲国产精品 Speaker Series

鈥淭he research I do has nothing to do with dance,鈥� says Scherich, the A.L. Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics and assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at Elon. 鈥淒ance is just the mechanism in which I communicate my research.鈥�

Scherich鈥檚 research focuses on topology, a branch of mathematics that studies flexible geometric shapes that remain preserved through deformation such as twisting, stretching or bending without opening holes, tearing or passing through themselves. More specifically, her research centers on knot theory, a field examining mathematical knots and braids.

Advanced mathematics requires years of foundational knowledge and technical language that can be difficult to explain to those outside the discipline. This challenge prompted Scherich to think creatively about how to share her work with broader audiences in an accessible way.

鈥淢athematics can be very abstract and uses a lot of specific jargon language,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淚t can be difficult to tell somebody about your work, because first you have to define years鈥� worth of math before you can even get started. I was looking for ways to explain what math is in a way where you do not necessarily understand the technicalities, but you can get a flavor for what we are studying.鈥�

Dance allows her to bypass that barrier, not by simplifying math but by translating it into a story with motion and emotion.

鈥淒ance is a really effective way to emotionally story-tell,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really think in terms of dialogue. I think in terms of movement.鈥�

Scherich鈥檚 work intentionally challenges stereotypes surrounding mathematics. Many of her videos feature female dancers and traditionally feminine aesthetics, in contrast to what has historically been a male-dominated field.

鈥淲hen you think of a ballet dancer, you think of a woman,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淲hen you think of a mathematician, you probably don鈥檛.鈥�

The intersection of dance and mathematics flows into her work with students. She collaborated with Sol Addison 鈥�25 and Lila Snodgrass 鈥�26 on research examining how dancers move across a stage over time to define a new knot invariant called the danceability index.

In the classroom, Scherich uses videos of her dances as part of a larger narrative. She might begin a lecture by introducing different branches of mathematics such as algebra, geometry and topology through movement, giving students a conceptual framework before diving into formal definitions. One of her recent pieces uses , a foundational result in knot theory. The videos do not replace traditional instruction but provide students with another way to grasp complex ideas.

Scherich鈥檚 path to mathematics was far from linear. Growing up in California, she left high school early to pursue performance opportunities and began college at 14, initially planning a future in performing arts. Encouraged by her father, a high school math teacher, she also enrolled in math courses as a backup plan.

I was looking for ways to explain what math is in a way where you do not necessarily understand the technicalities, but you can get a flavor for what we are studying.聽鈥� Nancy Scherich

She changed majors several times 鈥� performance, French, biochemistry, chemistry 鈥� before mathematics finally stuck. The turning point came during a calculus class when she learned how to calculate the volume of a three-dimensional shape created by rotating a two-dimensional object.

鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 think I just became a mathematician; this is so cool. I鈥檓 in,鈥欌�� Scherich says.

For years, Scherich kept dance and math separate. That changed during graduate school at the University of California, Santa Barbara when she learned about Science magazine鈥檚 鈥淒ance Your Ph.D.鈥� competition. Encouraged by a friend, she spent an entire summer creating a dance video inspired by her dissertation research. The project went on to win the competition.

鈥淚 feel like the video I created is probably my life鈥檚 masterpiece,鈥� Scherich says. 鈥淪o much love and passion went into that dance video. Since then, every time I am doing research or learn a new piece of mathematics, or I鈥檓 having trouble explaining math to someone, I think 鈥楥an I make a dance about this?鈥欌��

While the approach is unconventional, Scherich says the response from the mathematics community has been overwhelmingly positive.

鈥淧eople will come up to me at conferences and say, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the math and dance girl, right?鈥欌�� Scherich says. “They appreciate that it鈥檚 making math accessible and fun.鈥�

The 2025-26 academic year also marked major milestones in Scherich鈥檚 career. She was named the A.L Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics and received a $125,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support her research and community building within Elon鈥檚 Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Through her work, Scherich continues to demonstrate that mathematics is not limited to formulas and symbols on a page. By combining movement, storytelling and research, she offers students and audiences a new way to see mathematics 鈥� as dynamic, creative and deeply human.

How well is the United States living up to the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence?

Which moments in the nation鈥檚 history represent American democracy at its best?

How do Americans assess the country鈥檚 current condition?

What do people expect the nation to look like when it celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2076?

Those were some of the questions behind one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll. The findings were cited in nearly 600 media stories and opinion pieces across the ideological spectrum and contributed to public discussion during the nation鈥檚 semiquincentennial.

Established in 2000, the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll is among the country鈥檚 longest running university-based public opinion polling organizations, with a reputation for accuracy in measuring public opinion on elections, public policy and issues affecting North Carolina and the nation. The America250 project built on that foundation to explore questions that are rarely included in national polling.

Professor Jason Husser, director of the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll, coordinated with a group of faculty and staff to dig deep into the American psyche, stepping away from typical questions related to current events to explore how Americans think about their nation鈥檚 past, present and future. The result was a comprehensive report released just weeks before Independence Day that offered a broad portrait of how Americans view the United States at one of the most significant milestones in its history.

Husser, a professor of political science and public policy, said Americans鈥� divergent views in the survey results were not surprising. 鈥淧luralistic, democratic societies rarely generate true consensus about public affairs,鈥� Husser says. 鈥淣onetheless, when we read the findings in their totality, especially considering the optimism of young Americans, we see an underlying theme of perseverance perhaps best reflected in three-quarters of Americans who agreed with President Abraham Lincoln: 鈥楪overnment of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.鈥欌��

Proud of the country, concerned about its direction

Taken together, the results revealed a public that remains strongly attached to the United States while expressing considerable concern about its democratic institutions.

Nearly seven in 10 Americans said they are proud to be American, and two-thirds said they would not want to live in another country. At the same time, 52% said the nation is not successfully living up to its founding ideals, while 73% rated the overall health of American democracy as only 鈥渇air鈥� or 鈥減oor.鈥�

Forty percent said that at least once a week they have felt the nation is on the brink of a major crisis, and 70% said the current period is more turbulent and unstable than average across U.S. history.

Those findings echoed a theme that appeared throughout the survey: Americans expressed confidence in many of the country鈥檚 enduring ideals while offering a more cautious assessment of its present condition.

That pattern appeared in one of the survey鈥檚 most widely discussed results: 69% of respondents said they believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be more disappointed than proud if they could see American democracy today.

Reflecting on the nation鈥檚 history

The survey also invited Americans to think about the nation鈥檚 defining moments and leaders.

Asked which event best represented American democracy at its highest ideals, respondents most often selected the Civil Rights Movement, followed by World War II and the end of slavery. Abraham Lincoln was named both the historical figure who best exemplified American democracy and the nation鈥檚 greatest president. Other top presidents, in order of popularity, included Barack Obama, George Washington, Donald Trump, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.

Looking ahead

If Americans found inspiration in parts of the nation鈥檚 past, they expressed greater uncertainty about its future.

Sizable majorities predicted that by 2076 the country will be more politically divided, have more polluted air and water, and less freedom for citizens. Only about one-third expressed confidence that American political institutions would make mostly good decisions over the next 50 years.

Yet the survey also uncovered a notable generational pattern. Across many questions, younger adults expressed more optimism than older Americans. Respondents under 30 were more likely to believe the nation is living up to its founding ideals and more confident that American institutions will make good decisions in the decades ahead.

Toward a 鈥榤ore perfect union鈥�

福利亚洲国产精品 President Connie Ledoux Book wrote in the report鈥檚 introduction that civic engagement has long been central to the university鈥檚 mission.

鈥淓lon was founded in an era when American higher education increasingly saw democracy itself as dependent on an informed and engaged citizenry,鈥� Book wrote. 鈥淭hat conviction remains central to the university today.鈥�

For the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll, the America250 project demonstrates a broader role that universities can play in public life. Beyond measuring elections and political campaigns, polling can also document how Americans understand their democracy, their history and their future. As the nation looks forward to its tricentennial in 2076, this survey provides an important benchmark as Americans continue to strive for the 鈥渕ore perfect union鈥� envisioned in the U.S. Constitution.

The America250 survey, conducted April 30 through May 4 with field work by the international polling firm YouGov, included responses from 1,000 adults nationwide and was designed to represent the U.S. adult population. For the survey report, full data and methodology, visit elon.edu/elonpoll.

Criminal doctrine claims to distinguish morally culpable action from conduct driven by severe mental disease or defect. Yet in practice, society remains deeply resistant to extending even minimal grace when punishment is at stake. We love to punish, and we distrust anything that resembles an excuse. The defendant before me needed treatment; he needed help. But within a system oriented toward retribution, illness collapses into guilt. The institutional response becomes predictable: contain, control and confine the beast.

Nothing in a casebook prepared me for the raw immediacy of a mind splintered long before the law judged him.

His delusions dominated the evidence. I listened to voicemails he left after beating his mother beyond recognition with the leg of a table. He referred to himself as a Navy SEAL and carried on a conversation with someone who existed only in his mind. The forensic psychiatrist explained how his inward and outward projections tethered him to an alternate reality. In that reality, CIA agents listened through devices in his teeth and loved ones were replaced by alien spies.

The murder scene reflected this fractured world: He believed he had killed the alien inhabiting his mother鈥檚 body and attempted to give her a new one. He called his family and described the event in a chilling voice that even his social worker said didn鈥檛 sound like him.

As the psychiatrist detailed the defendant鈥檚 psychosis, the voices that commanded him and the delusional system shaping his actions, I felt the weight of the law鈥檚 expectations pressing against the limits of human cognition. We ask jurors 鈥� ordinary people with no psychiatric training 鈥� to translate hallucinations and delusions into legal categories.

Mental illness exists on a scientific spectrum. Insanity, by contrast, is a legal term of art. South Carolina, like many states moving away from the insanity defense, is taking a giant leap in the wrong direction.

A finding of 鈥渘ot criminally responsible鈥� due to paranoid schizophrenia should carry substantial moral and legal weight, yet it rarely moves a modern jury. Cultural narratives about personal responsibility and dangerousness prime jurors to distrust the very concept. To compound the problem, South Carolina provides no instruction about the consequences of a verdict. Courts warn that 鈥渇ocusing on outcomes could prejudice the jury,鈥� leaving jurors to choose among vague constructs like 鈥淕uilty but Mentally Ill鈥� (GBMI), a verdict functionally indistinguishable from guilty. GBMI reflects a deeper cultural shift: Mental illness itself is becoming morally blameworthy.

That trial stayed with me. It revealed the limits of our current system and the urgency of reform. It pushed me to study GBMI, juror misunderstanding and the consequences of sanism in criminal adjudication. If justice is to mean anything for defendants whose minds break from reality, the law must bridge the gap between doctrine and science.

Tarrah Casey L鈥�26 is a third-year student at Elon Law and presented her research on how courts evaluate remorse in sentencing autistic defendants at the 2025 Autism Law Summit. She completed her Residency-in-Practice, Elon Law鈥檚 signature experiential learning program in which students learn the law by praticing it, at Sarratt & Horta Vorse, P.A., in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

鈥淭he Last Lecture鈥� by Randy Pausch. We had our 鈥淰s. Cancer鈥� game this season and having a 7-year-old girl around our team who is going through a lot of tough times, it makes you reflect on something. So, when I found out about the book, I just wanted to read it. I wanted to see how I could personally look at that situation and how it would reflect on me.

What is your favorite phone app?

The onX Hunt app. In my spare time, which I don鈥檛 have much, I like to hunt. It鈥檚 an educational app that provides you with terrain, property boundaries and corridors on your property that might hold more deer than others.

If you could invite someone from history to dinner, who would it be?

Yogi Berra. I think just over time with all his funny quotes and how he kept the game fun, it would be an hour of constant laughs. His history with one-liners and the quotes he has are classic, so I think that would be an awesome night.

What is your favorite place on campus?

The first-base dugout. That鈥檚 where I have built most of my relationships here at Elon. I鈥檝e always said the best time for me is the 30 minutes after practice with three or four guys just sitting in that dugout chopping it up. Sometimes, I鈥檒l learn more in that dugout about our guys than I do anywhere else.

Nine hundred wins is an incredible milestone. When you think about your career at Elon, what are you proudest of? and what has kept you here all this time?

More than anything, the relationships I鈥檝e been able to build with former players. I love that at a time where there are a lot of departures in and around college athletics, we have so many former players that have built lifelong friendships and an incredible bond to Elon Baseball. I love that they reach out after a big win or a bad loss. I love that they follow the program and support current players. Truly, it鈥檚 an extension of family. This program is special! I love this campus and I鈥檝e been blessed to be around great people.

This summer, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Safia Swimelar teaches New York City: Living in the Global Community using the city as a microcosm to help students understand the diversity and complexity of global humanity. The course explores the meaning of NYC as a global city and how cultural, political and economic aspects of globalization are reflected and visualized there.

鈥淓ven though I teach political science, we鈥檙e talking about the globalization of hip-hop, food, 9/11, identity and culture,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭hey all fit the idea of New York as a global city.鈥�

Students spend Monday through Thursday interning in industries ranging from finance and marketing to communications and graphic design. On Fridays, everyone comes together for weekly seminars, encouraging students to connect their workplace experiences with broader discussions around globalization, identity and culture.

In true Elon fashion, learning extends beyond the classroom. 鈥淲e try to match the academic topic with some kind of hands-on experience, whether that鈥檚 a museum, a tour or meeting people in the community,鈥� Swimelar says. This summer鈥檚 experiential learning opportunities included a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a World Cup watch party, a Juneteenth celebration in Central Park, a performance of 鈥淩agtime鈥� on Broadway, the Pride Parade, a tour of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, an international food tour in Queens and a private tour of the New York Stock Exchange, to name a few.

At its core, the course is about helping students understand the world from a new perspective. 鈥淚 really want them to understand that the United States 鈥� and every city in it 鈥� is inherently connected to the rest of the world,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭he global is everywhere.鈥�

By the end of the summer, students bring home much more than academic knowledge and internship experience. Living in Brooklyn, navigating the subway and working full-time internships provide a realistic glimpse into life in one of the world鈥檚 largest cities.

鈥淔or many of them, this is the first time they feel like they鈥檙e actually living here instead of just visiting,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淲hen I read their journals each week, many are saying, 鈥業 think I really do want to move to New York.鈥欌��

Whether students pursue careers in business, the arts, communications, finance or public policy, Swimelar hopes they leave New York with a deeper appreciation for the people, cultures and ideas that shape communities both locally and globally.

福利亚洲国产精品 the Professor

Professor Safia Swimelar has taught political science and policy studies at Elon since 2008. Her teaching and research focus on international relations, human rights, European politics, global studies and film and politics. As a former Fulbright Scholar, Swimelar draws on her international experience to help students better understand global politics and contemporary issues.

Recommended Materials

• 鈥淭he Colossus of New York,鈥� by Colson Whitehead
• 鈥淗ip hop鈥檚 Enduring Echo: From New York鈥檚 Streets to Global Beats,鈥� The Elephant, 2023
• 鈥淎merica After 9/11,鈥� PBS Frontline documentary

Now, as a graduate, I can attest how those connections 鈥� first planted on the university鈥檚 campus 鈥� grow into strong bonds well beyond Elon鈥檚 brick pathways and oak trees. That is true of my connection to Dr. Anthony Hatcher.

Although I only took a few of Dr. Hatcher鈥檚 courses at Elon, our paths crossed countless times inside McEwen Communications Building. Every conversation included a kind word, encouragement and a quiet chuckle. But it was a senior-year trip to Hong Kong that revealed why so many students held him in such high regard.

Traveling with Dr. Hatcher and a cohort of classmates for an Imagining the Internet project, I truly understood what great teaching looks like. Dr. Hatcher let us students take the wheel and learn by doing, producing the interviews, choosing our story angles and cutting the video. By knowing when to offer guidance and when to step back, he let his students discover how to do journalism.

But it was in the 鈥渂etween鈥� moments 鈥� a shared meal at the top of Victoria Peak, wandering the chaotic shopping markets and navigating the busy streets 鈥� that made the trip special, where I and my classmates could share stories with him, listen to the advice of a seasoned journalist and just talk about our hopes and dreams upon graduating. They say that travel often brings out the best or worst in a person, and I can say unequivocally, Dr. Hatcher shared the best of himself with us. We successfully completed that trip, bonded by adventure and nearly 24 hours of straight travel.

I鈥檓 happy to say that connection is still present today, whether through emails exchanged or virtual coffee chats. And while Dr. Hatcher鈥檚 time at Elon may be ending, his impact on students and alumni like me will live on long after departing campus.

An Emmy Award-winning communications leader, Addie Haney 鈥�14 has built her career around storytelling and audience engagement. Earlier this year, she joined CNN Newsource as a content producer.

Raised in rural North Carolina, 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 associate vice president for student life and dean of student health and well-being came from a family that valued education but had little firsthand experience with higher education.

Her parents, whose lives were shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, never attended college. The first person who helped Patterson imagine a different future was her first-grade teacher. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone had ever told me I was smart,鈥� Patterson recalls.

Once she arrived at North Carolina State University, Patterson discovered how much she didn鈥檛 know. There was no roadmap for managing finances, selecting courses or understanding that struggling academically at times was normal, a lesson that has stayed with her.

Patterson has since worked to ensure Elon students receive the guidance and reassurance she often lacked. Yet grades and academics were only part of the story.

Patterson remembers a time when being a first-generation student felt like something to hide. Students rarely talked about parents who had not attended college, and many worried they would be judged for backgrounds that fell outside the perceived norm.

鈥淲hile my immediate family and teachers were proud of me, there were other members of my extended family who said they don鈥檛 see why I didn鈥檛 just go in the military,鈥� Patterson says. 鈥淥thers were like, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you just get married and settle down?鈥欌��

Today, she describes first-generation status not as a disadvantage but as an identity worthy of celebration. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a status,鈥� she鈥檒l tell you. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an identity.鈥�

That commitment to inclusive excellence became a hallmark of her work. For Patterson, who retires in September following four decades of faithful service to 福利亚洲国产精品, supporting students has always been about more than helping them succeed in college. It has been about helping them believe they belong.

鈥淥ne of the things I am most proud of with my work is that we have moved how we think and talk about first-generation students,鈥� she said. 鈥淢aking connections with others that embrace both shared and differing identities provides so much joy and interest to your life.鈥�

Jana Lynn Patterson is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence highlighting the people, paradigms and praxis of inclusive excellence that shape 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 community. Learn more on the聽Inclusive Excellence website.

Vision 鈥� the creation, then pursuit of it 鈥� changes the world.

In recent months, I have had the pleasure of experiencing the culmination of faculty vision for student success in profound moments. One was this past spring in New York City鈥檚 Carnegie Hall, where the Elon Wind Ensemble performed the closing act of the 24th Annual New York Wind Band Festival. Faculty members worked closely with students to produce a magnificent performance that filled the hall with breathtaking joy and marked the university鈥檚 first appearance in the storied venue 鈥� a historic and wonderful realization of our vision for excellence in the performing arts.

This summer, sitting in the heart of the Medici Palace in Florence, Italy, I watched another vision come to life as students, joined by Italian and American performers, brought a first to the city: a production of the musical 鈥淭he Light in the Piazza.鈥� Associate Teaching Professor of Music Polly Cornelius first imagined the idea two years earlier, then worked with our partners in Florence and her colleagues in the Department of Performing Arts to make it a reality. Her vision was felt by us all as we watched the students and actors perform to the sold-out audience.

These are among the many visionary moments inspired by our mission to engage and mentor students throughout their learning journeys and help them achieve more than they imagined for themselves during college. Possibility begins with learning and experience, and it ultimately leads to growth.

This year I鈥檝e also been working diligently with the university鈥檚 trustees on a different kind of vision 鈥� one that adds another pillar to our foundation, looks out ahead to the next century and asks how we can prepare 福利亚洲国产精品to meet the emerging landscape of higher education from a continued position of strength and innovation. Our merger with Queens, successfully approved by our accreditor and now in process with the Department of Education, brings that vision closer to reality.

Faculty and staff members from both campuses have been imagining potential programs together, and the growing list is full of exciting possibilities.

When people imagine innovation, they often think of a single 鈥渆ureka鈥� moment, like Alexander Graham Bell鈥檚 first telephone call or Thomas Edison鈥檚 filament beginning to glow. But scholars have shown that innovation is more often one idea leading to another until, further downstream, someone shouts 鈥渆ureka!鈥� and a vision becomes reality, perhaps in Carnegie Hall or the Medici Palace.

Most importantly, through bold vision and shared commitment to our mission, ideas advance, lives are transformed and the world becomes a better place.