“It’s a great day to be a Tar Heel” is often proclaimed by many at Carolina — and for good reason. Every day, Tar Heels are creating a positive impact on the world by improving communities and inspiring change through their extraordinary talents. They’re dancers, scientists, humanitarians, researchers and innovators doing great things.
While the campus is quiet, meet some of our students and alumni to find out why every day truly is a great day to be a Tar Heel.
The 2024 Carolina graduate earned a fashion marketing certificate and interned in South Africa.
The NASA astronaut and Tar Heel delivered the Spring Commencement address ahead of her first space flight later this year.
The Carolina sophomore and aspiring physician competed in the quiz show’s Second Chance Tournament five years after appearing as a teen.
Rodrigues, a psychology and neuroscience major, offers tips on letter writing and says, “There’s nothing like having a definitive piece of paper to capture that moment and your feelings.”
When the Carolina junior proclaims he is a Tar Heel, you never know what language he might say it in. A love of history and culture and a worthwhile volunteering experience have inspired his multilingualism.
The child of two Carolina cheerleaders and recent graduate supported the Tar Heels on the field while working toward a dental degree.
Tar Heels come from communities of all sizes, some of them tiny. These four Carolina students shared a slice of life through photos of meaningful places and people back home.
In Chapel Hill and beyond, Tar Heels across campus are using their skills and knowledge to make the world a better place.
A child of Mexican immigrants, Mariana Alcaraz was inspired by her dental hygenist growing up and wants to work with Hispanic patients.
Nick Chappell (’22, ’24 MPH) and other SafeWalkers are making nights more secure by helping Tar Heels get where they need to go safely during late hours.
Along with her brother, Ilianamaria Brown (’23) is helping low-income teens plan next steps through the Carolina College Advising Corps.
The fourth-year medical students share a love for rural medicine, service and each other.
The School of Social Work graduate student's 24-year military career led her to Carolina and a new way of helping others.
As part of the UNC School of Education Helping Heels program, she is training to be a school counselor in a rural area.
Now a junior, the student statistician has worked with Carolina men's basketball team since he was a first-year.
The earth, marine and environmental sciences doctoral student describes the role of sargassum algae in nitrogen production and why that's important to humans and the environment.
The pharmacy student set his own course at NASA, where he researched how genetics can affect the safety and effectiveness of medication used by ground support and spaceflight crew members.
The Air Force cadet is studying biomedical engineering through a joint program at Carolina and NC State University.
The journalism graduate student uses his research on mental health in the military to effect policy change at the national level.
Through her work at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Carolina senior researches the use of cancer patients’ own cells to treat Ewing sarcoma.
