T H E
ISSUE VIII
O F F I C I A L
M A G A Z I N E
O F
T H E
R A M S
C L U B
W H AT ’ S N E X T ?
TAR HEELS LOOK BEYOND GRADUATION
YOU PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY RAMS CLUB MEMBERS LIKE YOU GIVE THE GIFT OF OPPORTUNITY – for the best student-athletes to attend the best university, to compete in the best facilities, and to play for the best coaches at the highest level of competition in all 28 of our varsity sports.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE RAMS CLUB, VISIT RAMSCLUB.COM P.O. BOX 2446 | CHAPEL HILL, NC 27515 | (919) 843-2000 |
RAMSCLUB.COM |
THERAMSCLUB |
@THERAMSCLUB
WELCOME
Letter from the Editor
B
By now, virtually everyone knows the story about how Alexander Julian redesigned the Carolina men’s basketball uniforms at the direction of Dean Smith in the early 1990s. As Julian has often put it, “It was like God calling and asking for new halos for the archangels.” What you might not know is that Julian also had a hand in the graduation gowns Tar Heel graduates have worn in recent years. After photographing eleven Carolina senior student-athletes at the Old Well wearing their gowns over their respective UNC jerseys, we’ve got a special appreciation for the work and detail that went into the creative process when Julian reworked the garments for 2011 graduation. Julian has an unmatched eye for color and had been troubled by the previous hue of blue. To find the perfect shade, he dyed dozens of swatches, and when he narrowed it to four finalists, he made the final decision the only way he knew how—by making a pilgrimage to Chapel Hill. On a sunny day, he took swatches with the four contenders to the Old Well. There, he placed each of them at the foot of the landmark, backed up to the normal photograph-taking distance, and used his best judgment. The winning color has been seen at Carolina graduations since 2011, and can also be found on this month’s cover. Watching nearly a dozen Tar Heel student-athletes surround the Old Well, with tulips in bloom all around them, made it obvious Julian made the right selection. Back in August, we started the school year with coaches providing some advice to incoming freshmen. Now, as a new summer approaches, we bookend it with a variety of advice to the Class of 2018. For many students, coming into Carolina is one of the most exciting phases of their lives; they’ve usually been told that college will be the best time of their life. But leaving is a little scary. Carolina seems huge on the first day of class and tiny on the last. These pages are filled with suggestions and experiences of what happens when the Tar Heel comfort zone is left behind. There’s just one little detail the graduates won’t need to worry about: the shade of blue in that gown will look perfect in the graduation photos.
PRODUCED BY THE RAMS CLUB EDITOR IN CHIEF ADAM LUCAS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LEE PACE & PAT JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY CAMARATI & J.D. LYON, JR. DESIGN JUJUBE SPORTS PUBLISHING SPECIAL THANKS TO UNC STUDENT STORES FOR SUPPLYING GRADUATION CAPS AND GOWNS
ADAM LUCAS Editor in Chief ramsclub.com
3
10
the
16
“WHAT’S NEXT?” edition
ON THE COVER: Eleven student-athlete May graduates show off their combination of athletics and academics. COVER BY J.D. LYON, JR.
“
“I always tell [graduates] to enjoy these moments. Remember the way you felt when you experienced great success. I also tell them to remember the moments when you have that adversity and how you bounced back from it. Enjoy thinking back on what you accomplished for four years and remember Chapel Hill will always be your second home. Where you grew up will be your first home.
But Chapel Hill will always be here for you as your second home.” -ROY WILLIAMS
4
BORN & BRED
22
28
EDITOR’S LETTER p. 3
TAR HEEL TICKER p. 6
W H AT ’ S N E X T ?
10 Speaking from Experience
We asked eleven 2017 Tar Heel graduates what advice they’d give to the class of 2018 BY PAT JAMES
W H AT ’ S N E X T ?
16 Perfect Pairing
Fencer Meredith Bozentka will pursue a unique passion in grad school BY ADAM LUCAS
W H AT ’ S N E X T ?
34
of Swoosh 22 Summer Tar Heel interns at Nike learn job skills while
CAROLINA EVERYWEAR p. 14
W H AT ’ S N E X T ?
28 Back to School
Tar Heel student-athletes have found the skills they learned as an athlete translate seamlessly to grad school BY LEE PACE
W H AT ’ S N E X T ?
34 Coaching Up Graduates Men’s lacrosse coach Joe Breschi with some advice to Tar Heel graduates BY JOE BRESCHI
FIRST PERSON
38 A Growth Mindset
building a Carolina connection
Women’s soccer alum Darcy McFarlane explains how sports prepared her for the real world
BY PAT JAMES
BY DARCY MCFARLANE
ramsclub.com
5
TA R H E E LT I C K E R FROM THE COVER
ADVICE FOR THE NEXT STEP Photo by J.D. Lyon, Jr.
6
BORN & BRED
““ ““ “
JOEL BERRY, MEN’S BASKETBALL Senior from Apopka, Fla.
“I’ve had staff members and former players tell me to remember to save your money. To this point, you haven’t really had any money so you haven’t had to pay attention to it, but moving forward you have to make sure you’re keeping the financial side balanced.”
BEN GRIFFIN, MEN’S GOLF Senior from Chapel Hill, N.C.
“I saw a quote at one point that said never be less than your dreams, and I’ve followed that ever since then. My dad also always tells me that failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
JAMIE CHERRY, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Senior from Cove City, N.C.
“Always be prepared. With everything my coaches have taught me, I feel like I’m prepared to take on any task.”
MORGAN LANE, GYMNASTICS Senior from Columbus, Ind.
“My mom has always told me to find something I really enjoy doing, because that will help with long-term endurance in the workforce and not burning out.”
EMILY GODWIN, WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Senior from Buckhannon, W. Va.
“At the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship luncheon, Phil Ford told us, ‘In life, always prepare a ball screen for the rebounder for the buzzer-beating shot like Coach Dean Smith did during my career at Carolina.’ He meant we should plan to take the shot, but also have a plan for if the shot doesn’t go in. His advice encouraged me to pursue my dreams and aspirations while remembering the small details, because those details could have the greatest impact.”
MARIE MCCOOL, WOMEN’S LACROSSE Senior from Moorestown, N.J.
“Dan Levy told me to enjoy the moment. He advises us not to stress, because we have our whole lives to work, and to find that career path that I truly love.”
““ “ “
ROBERT KELLY, MEN’S TENNIS Senior from Chapel Hill, N.C.
“Enjoy the moment. Everyone says that until you experience it you don’t realize how fast everything will go, and before you know it you’re turning 30.”
KENNY SELMON, MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Senior from Mableton, Ga.
“My dad wrestled at Nebraska, and he always tells me to remember that there’s a reason you got to this point. Especially for athletes who go pro in their sport, there’s a reason you got here. Don’t change anything. You’ve done what it takes to get here, and that will be enough to get you where you want to go. Don’t change who you are and continue to compete at that same level.”
MATTHEW SHLIMAK
Senior from Houston, Texas “My sister played volleyball in college. She told me that it sometimes seems like college is the end, because everyone says college is the best four years of your life. But there are also some really exciting new experiences coming up. These years in your 20s when you’re getting into your career and getting into your life can be very impactful. You’re a little more mature, and it enables you to see who you are as a person.”
THEO PINSON, MEN’S BASKETBALL Senior from Greensboro, N.C.
“My dad always tells me that I shouldn’t take anything for granted and to enjoy every moment we are given. He told me that a lot when I was in college, and it will be true after college also. There’s a time and a place to work as hard as you possibly can, but you also have to make sure you’re appreciating the moment also.”
MORGAN DONNELLY, ROWING Senior from Huntersville, N.C.
“Both my coach and a couple of professors have told me that your first job doesn’t have to be your last job. Right now is the time to try something fun because you always have time to move into something different later.”
ramsclub.com
7
TA R H E E LT I C K E R REMEMBERING WOODY
FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH WOODY DURHAM
“ “
I had become involved with Lineberger Cancer Center through the Reece Holbrook cancer tournament. I had the opportunity to have Woody on my team and had what would become one of my favorite memories. It was superball and everyone had putted and missed except for my dad. It was a thirty footer downhill sideways putt for birdie. He made it and he and Woody ran across the green at each other and high fived. I can still see it in my mind’s eye—two sixty something’s just as happy as kids that it had gone in for a birdie. My favorite memory came at a basketball game a year after he had retired. Jean and Woody invited me to attend a game with them. This was thrilling on so many different levels and I could not wait. I got to the game and sat beside Woody and as the game progressed I looked away, heard the crowd roar and asked Woody to describe what had happened. For a brief moment I was the little kid in the car listening to him describe to me what had just happened. It was magical to listen to him and will always be my favorite memory of him.
-SCOTT GRIGGS
I was fortunate enough to live in Governors Club with Woody & Jean and be able to know their personal side. We played a lot of golf together and were partners in several member events where we usually won our flight and made money. When they moved, he was my Member Guest partner and our tradition continued. One day while playing, Woody made “The Greatest Call Ever” which seemed like it went on five minutes. Although there was no recording, I remember nearly every word. Our friend, Scott Rutherford, stood on the tee box of hole 14, a par 3 that runs along Governors Drive. As he swung the club, Woody exclaimed: “What a great swing; Wow this is a good shot; It’s going right at the pin; This might have a chance; It’s tracking, it’s tracking; It could go in; It is going, going...it’s in the HOLE!” Woody and I jumped around yelling, cheering, exchanging high fives for a long time. Drivers in cars passing were blowing their horns. It was quite a celebration! At one point Woody looked over at Scott, who just had a little smile on his face, and asked why he was not more excited. Scott kind of sheepishly responded “I am not sure I have the hole in one insurance!” The resulting party was great and many participants expressed their disappointment of not getting to actually hear “The Call” by Woody. I will forever remember “The Call” as the highlight of many fond memories I have of the experiences I shared with the “Voice of the Tar Heels.”
-JIM TRIMM
8
BORN & BRED
“
Woody Durham and I finished high school together in Albemarle in 1959, and both of us went on to Carolina. During 1957 and 1958 we teamed up together for the ASHS debate team. At the Wake Forest debate camp in July 1957, we won the award as “First Place Debate” team! Another winner was Jean Hege of the Lexington HS debate team. I introduced Woody to Jean and they were married following graduation in 1963. While a recent news account said Woody got a “B” in a speech class, I know he was a “double winner” at Wake Forest, picking up both a debate award and a life long partner!
-R. LANE BROWN III
“
TA R H E E LT I C K E R
“ “ My favorite memory of Woody came after the memorable win over Virginia at Carmichael in 1983. The Heels made Another Carolina Comeback, spurred on by “Mike” Jordan’s half-court steal followed by a thunderous windmill jam. It was a thrilling event, followed by a raucous celebration inside and outside Carmichael. From the top row of the student section I could faintly hear Woody and Mick Mixon (now the voice of the Carolina Panthers) doing the postgame report above in the rafters or, as some say, the crow’s nest. As the crowd was filtering out I decided to get closer to better hear the report and climbed up a few steps toward the crow’s nest. I slowly moved up one step, then another and then another until I was one step away from the announcers themselves. Next thing I knew, Woody and Mick took a commercial break and I decided it was now or never if I wanted to get his autograph. I searched my pockets for a pen and paper because, as all good autograph-seekers know, those are things you must have in order to succeed. I found no pen and the only paper I found was my ticket stub. So I flipped over the ticket, handed it out toward Woody and, knowing not to speak, mimed “can you sign”? In typical Woody style, with pen in hand, he signed without a blink, handed it back to me then turned back around and carried on with the broadcast. Amazed at my luck, I sat back and took in more of Woody’s and Mick’s banter. A short time later Woody arose and exited through a nearby unmarked door leading to Woolen Gym where Dean Smith was beginning the postgame news conference. With no one else to stop me I followed him and stood in the back listening to Coach Smith explain how his team had pulled off such an amazing comeback. Needless to say, I spent the next few days, and the rest of my life since, marveling at my amazing luck. That Woody-signed ticket now has a prominent spot in my home, right beside other tickets signed by Coach Smith. I’d say Coach Smith is in good company!
It’s difficult to narrow this down to one, but it has to be the time I actually sat beside Woody on a bus trip. It was the opportunity of a lifetime. On a trip to the bowl game in Charlotte (there must have also been a basketball game the day before since I like to doubledip) I boarded a Rams Club bus in Chapel Hill for the 2 hour journey. Upon boarding, the only seats were up front. Shortly thereafter, Woody and his wife arrived and Woody took the seat next to me and Jean sat on the adjacent aisle seat. I was speechless. Woody introduced himself and I thought NO KIDDING! If anybody on this bus doesn’t know who you are, they should leave. I told him my name and inquired if I might ask him a few questions that were around 40 years in the making. Knowing that I may babble incessantly, I told him it would be fine just to tell me to shut up at any point. I asked many questions, shared my memory as a young’un waving to him during the NCAA tourney in Greensboro circa 1983 and then as a US Navy sailor stationed in Japan hearing him broadcast two 1989 wins against Duke carried on the Armed Forces Network. I was able to thank him in person for all of the years of enjoyment he gave me and I told him that much as Coach Smith said the basketball team was the front porch of the University, he was the front porch to all of us that listened and loved him and this great University.
-JIM NICHOLS
-DOUG ROBINSON
WE RECEIVED A GREAT RESPONSE ON YOUR FAVORITE WOODY DURHAM MEMORIES AND WILL RUN MORE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE. TO SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES OR PHOTOS FOR CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE ISSUES, EMAIL THEM TO ADAM@RAMSCLUB.COM
ramsclub.com
9
WHAT’S NEXT?
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE We asked eleven 2017 Tar Heel graduates what advice they’d give to the class of 2018 BY PAT JAMES // PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI
HENRY DO
AS A TAR HEEL: MEN’S GOLF NOW: DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT HALL FINANCIAL IN TROY, MICH. HENRY’S ADVICE: ”You have to really be knowledgeable and understand where the market’s at, especially in the
financial industry. You need to understand where the market is at, understand what’s going on in the local market, kind of understand what the other person’s business is. … It’s great when you first meet a person to chitchat and kind of get to know the person for a couple of minutes. But as soon as that’s over, you’re talking business. And in order for them to take you seriously, you have to be knowledgeable in not only what they’re involved in but how you benefit them.”
ALEXIS AMATO
AS A TAR HEEL: ROWING NOW: HEALTHCARE CONSULTANT AT NAVIGANT IN CHICAGO ALEXIS’ ADVICE: “I think one of the biggest pieces of advice that I didn’t really think about as much in school was
that once you leave and get a job, don’t forget about helping out the people who are still in school. Because as I was looking for jobs and internships, I really relied on the alumni student-athlete network. I now always make it a huge point, if (Coordinator of Student-Athlete Career Development) Dana (Gelin) or anyone reaches out to me, to make sure to assist in any way that I can because those resources were so helpful and invaluable for my experience in getting me to where I am now.”
SOPHIE MCCOY
AS A TAR HEEL: WOMEN’S LACROSSE NOW: IED ANALYST AT MORGAN STANLEY IN NEW YORK SOPHIE’S ADVICE TO GRADUATES WHO ARE STARTING A FULL-TIME JOB SOMEWHERE THEY’VE PREVIOUSLY INTERNED: “Although you were there for a summer, you don’t know everything you
need to know. So be open to learning new things, constantly ask questions, be engaged. This isn’t just a test you’re now trying to pass; this is your life, this is your job. So you really have to put everything you’ve got into it.”
10
BORN & BRED
R.J. ALOWONLE
AS A TAR HEEL: MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD NOW: RUNNING PROFESSIONALLY R.J.’S ADVICE: “I think for a lot of college students being 100 percent financially independent once they get out of college is something that’s going to be fairly difficult for them. But I would say, especially in your last semester at least, try to ease yourself into that, even if it’s your parents still providing you with a budget similar to if you’d be getting an income. As you’re in college, there’s a little bit of a safety net and you can play with some of those things so you don’t make as many mistakes when you first get out.”
SARAH HITCHENS
AS A TAR HEEL: WOMEN’S SWIMMING NOW: UNIT FUND ASSISTANT AT THE CARLYLE GROUP IN WASHINGTON, D.C. SARAH’S ADVICE: “I would say that just as a student-athlete, specifically in your sport, you’re uncomfortable; like
you should be uncomfortable. Training should be uncomfortable. You shouldn’t be content with anything. And I feel like when I graduated and with my first job (as an assistant swim coach and program director for the swim school at Marymount University), I was too comfortable. I didn’t feel challenged and I wanted to challenge myself. I feel like my athletic background made me want to be challenged and do something that’s outside of my comfort zone.”
ramsclub.com 11
WHAT’S NEXT?
TATIANA DURR
AS A TAR HEEL: VOLLEYBALL NOW: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT OCTAGON IN CARY, N.C. TATIANA’S ADVICE FOR GRADUATES WHO ARE INTERNING AT A COMPANY THEY WOULD LIKE TO WORK FOR FULL-TIME: “Ask a lot of questions and make those relationships early. One of the first things that I did
was ask my manager, ‘Hey, can we go to lunch just to kind of get to know each other? And I want to know about your career path and decisions that you made.’ It really helped to just have those foundations with everybody in the office and to take time to get to know everybody and how they got where they are and ask those questions, because they appreciate it and it shows you really care and you want to know how they got where they are and that you can see yourself in a position like this.”
EZRA BAELI-WANG
AS A TAR HEEL: MEN’S FENCING NOW: EAST ASIA OPERATIONS ANALYST AT VIGILINT IN MORRISVILLE, N.C. EZRA’S ADVICE:
“I think that if anyone has the opportunity to (travel after graduation), I think you have your whole life to work. There’s no rush to jump right into it after college. I think that college is an incredible, unique and wonderful experience and is very, very different from the working world. So it’s nice to take some time to both give the culmination of that some space and some closure and also give yourself some preparation before starting work.”
AUSTIN PIFANI
AS A TAR HEEL: MEN’S LACROSSE NOW: DEFENSEMEN FOR THE NEW YORK LIZARDS OF MAJOR LEAGUE LACROSSE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE AT RELAY NETWORK IN RADNOR, PA. AUSTIN’S ADVICE FOR GRADUATES WHO WANT TO CONTINUE PLAYING THEIR SPORT AND ALSO BEGIN A CAREER OUTSIDE OF IT: “Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions in an interview. … Yes,
you want to get a job, but it’s also fair for you to be like, ‘These are my expectations, these are my goals and dreams.’ Especially your first year or two out of college, I say chase those dreams, don’t shy away from them, because you have the rest of your life to get a great job. I think it’s important to continue to go after your goals. So don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions because it shows you’re really looking for the right fit for you; you’re not just trying to get a job.”
PATRICK RIESS
AS A TAR HEEL: MEN’S SWIMMING NOW: DISTRICT MANAGER FOR ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV IN BLOOMINGTON, IND. PATRICK’S ADVICE: “I think a lot of people benefit and can benefit from going out and just seeing what the
hell happens. Because at the end of the day, if you make a mistake right now – unless you get married and have a kid in college – the consequences of making a financial mistake or (a mistake related to) where you choose to locate yourself professionally, what professional industry you get into … the consequences of making a mistake along any of those lines are incredibly minimal when you’re 23.”
12
BORN & BRED
HAYLEY CARTER
AS A TAR HEEL: WOMEN’S TENNIS NOW: ASSISTANT WOMEN’S TENNIS COACH AT OKLAHOMA STATE HAYLEY’S ADVICE: “I think my coach would say I was probably the most nervous person ever to graduate in the world. I felt on top of the world at UNC, and I was scared for what was to come when I entered the real world. I think my No. 1 advice would be that it’s not as scary as it seems. You’ll meet new friends, you’ll find kind of a new passion and a new love for where you are. And at the same time, you still have that Carolina family and that Carolina connection to lean back on.”
JOEY WARD
AS A TAR HEEL: WRESTLING NOW: EVENT SPECIALIST FOR MILWAUKEE TOOL IN THE RALEIGH-DURHAM AREA AND TRAINING FOR THE 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS JOEY’S ADVICE TO GRADUATES WHO ARE STARTING A FULL-TIME JOB SOMEWHERE THEY’VE PREVIOUSLY INTERNED: “I was so back and forth on what I wanted to do that I never really jumped
into a decision. I guess just talking it through out loud. Don’t hold all your thoughts in because I held a lot of thoughts in and that kind of drove me crazy. Just bounce some of your thoughts off more than one person. Don’t go ask your mom or go ask your dad or go ask your significant other. I’d bounce my thoughts off probably six different people to try to get different feedback. That helped ultimately after like a month or two of scrambling around and thinking to myself.”
ramsclub.com 13
1
2 3
C A R O L I N A E V E R YWE A R Rams Club members like to wear their Carolina Blue, and they’ll wear it all over the US and the world. If you have a photo of you in your Carolina gear in front of notable landmarks in the US and abroad, send them our way to be a part of Carolina EveryWear!
4
5 6 7
14
BORN & BRED
To have your photo included: -Send your photo digitally to bornandbred@ramsclub.com. -Identify everyone in your photo and the location of the photo. Here are the “Rules”: -At least one person in the photo has to be a Rams Club member. -You must be wearing Carolina gear. -You must be in front of a notable landmark (sorry, as cool as Kenan Stadium and the Smith Center are, they don’t qualify). SHOW US YOUR COLORS!
8
9
1) Bill & Marian Smith of Marietta, GA, at Oak Alley Planation in Louisiana; 2) Justin Johnson of Durham, NC, & Taylor Thomas of Carrboro, NC, at the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico; 3) Carson O’Hara, Ashton O’Hara, Alex O’Hara, Sarah Eure (Morganton, NC), Brenda O’Hara & Jeff O’Hara of Cary, NC, at the Huanghuacheng Great Wall in China; 4) Brandon Rogers, Brian Rogers, Sandra Rogers of El Macero, CA, with Claudia Munoz Najar of Lima, Peru in Mejia, Peru; 5) Laura Webb & John Hoskins of Asheville, NC, at Angkor Wat in Cambodia; 6) Banks & Barbara Richardson of Aberdeen, NC, with Paula & John Joseph at Diamond Head in Oahu, HI; 7) Barbara Henderson, Karen West, Andy West, Nancy Brackett, Arnold Bracket, Laura Abernathy, Michael Abernathy & David Henderson of China Grove, NC, at El Avion in Manuel Antonie, Costa Rica; 8) Susie & Chuck Wakild of Raleigh, NC, at the “end of the world” Cape Horn Memorial; 9) Emily McKinney, Douglas McKinney & Chris McKinney of Wilmington, NC, 70 feet under the sea in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles; 10) Steve & Barbara Thomas of Hickory, NC, “standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona”; 11) Jeff Thornton of Colorado Springs, CO, at the start of the Yukon Quest dog sled race in Fairbanks, AK; 12) Rick & Maryann Bateman of Charlotte, NC, at the Pyramids in Egypt; 13) Evan, Jon, Caroline & June Levine of Charlotte, NC, at Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica.
10
11
12 13
ramsclub.com 15
WHAT’S NEXT?
PERFECT
PAIRING
FENCER MEREDITH BOZENTKA WILL PURSUE A UNIQUE PASSION IN GRAD SCHOOL BY ADAM LUCAS PHOTOS BY ALEX KORMANN ’19 AND THE BOZENTKA FAMILY
16
BORN & BRED
Of all the current Carolina student-athletes planning to enroll in graduate school in the fall of 2018, Meredith Bozentka may have the longest guest list. Often, grad school doesn’t sound like much fun. No one wants to go hang out at a law school or medical school. But Bozentka, a senior captain on the fencing team, says, “All of my friends have told me they’re going to come see me.” That’s partially because of the location—Bozentka will be in Piacenza, Italy, attending the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. And what takes her to Italy? Therein lies the other reason she’s been such a popular friend. The Oregon Episcopal product plans to earn her Master’s in viticulture and enology…in other words, a graduate degree in winemaking. Italy is currently the world’s largest producer of wine. “My guy friends always ask me for advice about wine,” she says with a laugh. “They want to know what they should get to impress a girl’s parents. I tell them to go to the store and send me a picture of the red section.” This isn’t some college whim. Bozentka has been interested in the science of winemaking for several years. Her father, Neal, has an extensive wine cellar, and taught her some of the nuances of the industry. Bozentka actually arrived at Carolina with the idea that she might be a veterinarian. But she interned at Benjamin Vineyards, a family-owned vineyard in Graham, during her freshman year, and
at least once. “And in all that time,” he says, “I think Meredith is the like many students, found that her internship turned into a passion. first one to do this type of graduate school.” She identified the graduate program that would be the best fit, Miller and Bozentka always had a good coach-athlete and picked a major, environmental studies, that would allow her to relationship. They solidified it when Bozentka earned a berth to seamlessly transition into the graduate classes. A botany class was the NCAA Fencing Championships in 2016, where she qualified for helpful, as were several environmental studies classes, especially honorable mention All-America honors after finishing 11th overall. those dealing with water and the various ways to use it. Most She returned to the NCAA championship in people think of the wine industry mostly as 2017 and finished 18th in women’s sabre. Her what happens after it’s put in the bottle. But qualifications helped continue a streak that Bozentka is interested in the entire process. has now seen Miller place at least one of his “Working at Benjamin Vineyards is really when I fell in love with it,” she says. “They “Especially at the end of her senior fencers in NCAA championship competition were so helpful to me and I loved picking the season, [Bozentka’s] leadership for each one of his 51 seasons. Those one-on-one trips to the national grapes. You had to make sure you got the was a very important factor. I championships were valuable quality time right color and the right firmness of the grape. like leaders to lead by example. for the coach and his pupil. Miller learned I stayed with them a couple weeks after the harvest to help them press the wine, and that She does that with the way she more about Bozentka’s unique interests away from sports, and Bozentka developed was so cool to be involved in that process.” competes. She listens to other a deep respect for Miller’s vast experience at With her eventual travels in mind, she’s been taking Italian classes since her freshman people, she’s unselfish, and she’s a Carolina. “If you want someone to do your taxes, do year. She also interned at another vineyard— good motivator.” you want the two-year-old or do you want this one near Florence, Italy—during the the 50-year-old?” she says. “It’s the same way with fencing. I had summer between her sophomore and junior years. She considered the opportunity to learn from someone who has basically seen doing another internship for her post-college year, but the intricate everything in this sport.” process of getting a working visa proved to be more complicated Injuries limited Bozentka during her senior season, but she was than doing graduate study. still part of a squad that won the program’s first-ever women’s Bozentka’s unique path of study becomes even more impressive Atlantic Coast Conference championship in the friendly home when you consider that Carolina fencing coach Ron Miller has been environment of Carmichael Arena. directing the program for 51 years, and has mostly seen everything
“
THE WISDOM OF EXPERIENCE MEREDITH BOZENTKA
AS A TAR HEEL: FENCING FALL ‘18: STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE IN ITALY MEREDITH’S ADVICE TO SOMEONE JUST ENTERING CAROLINA: “Being open to anything really helps a lot.
Don’t be set on one thing when you get here. I really like it when freshmen come in and they’re undecided and have no idea what to do. You never know when you might take a random class and love it.”
RON MILLER
NOW: FENCING HEAD COACH RON’S ADVICE TO IMMINENT TAR HEEL GRADUATES: “One thing I set as a life goal was to find a profession
that I knew I would want to get up in the morning and do the rest of my life. I was extremely fortunate that my first major job has allowed me to do that for the last 51 years. So my advice would be to look for something similar to what I found.”
ramsclub.com 17
WHAT’S NEXT?
“She had great skills when she came to Carolina,” Miller said. “She continued to work very hard after she got here. She stays after practice and does extra footwork. She never rests. Especially at the end of her senior season, her leadership was a very important factor. I like leaders to lead by example. She does that with the way she competes. She listens to other people, she’s unselfish, and she’s a good motivator.” There might not be many obvious parallels between being an NCAA fencer and a professional winemaker. But Bozentka believes there are more than you might think. “No one really knows that much about fencing,” she says. “There are so many details that people don’t realize. You plan for so much more than what people might think, and it becomes just as much a mental game as a physical game. In the same way, very few people know that much about how wine is made.” One of the exceptions to that rule, of course, is Meredith’s father, Neal, who is serious enough about wine that he recently took his daughter to a wine convention in New York City. But he’s not concerned about being surpassed as the family’s foremost expert on his favorite topic. “He’s really excited for me,” Meredith said. “He’s a student at heart, and he wants me to learn as much as I can. He’s already told me that wherever I end up working, he’s going to retire there and I will have free labor whenever I want it.”
18
BORN & BRED
(919) - 962-5066
207 South Road, Chapel Hill
BUY CAROLINA! Because of your purchases, Student Stores has been able to contribute more than $27 million to Carolina scholarships and fellowships!
Store.unc.edu
Follow us on social media! UNC Student Stores @uncstudentstores @StudentStores
20
BORN & BRED
ramsclub.com 21
SUMMER OF SWOOSH
B Y P AT J A M E S
P H O T O S B Y J E F F R E Y C A M A R AT I
22
BORN & BRED
TAR HEEL INTERNS AT NIKE LEARN JOB SKILLS WHILE BUILDING A CAROLINA CONNECTION.
T
wo years ago, when Drew Pedersen was a freshman on the
North Carolina track and field team, Chris Madaffari first piqued Pedersen’s interest.
Moody, as well as those of several other UNC student-athletes who have interned with Nike.
Nike’s contract with Carolina athletics includes two summer
Madaffari, then a senior on the cross country and track and
internship spots each year for qualified student-athletes. Aside from
the Nike Summer Internship Program, centered at the company
internship are Luke Ciocca (2017, men’s soccer), Ronnie Schneider
field teams, was preparing to enter his second straight summer in headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. He and Pedersen often spoke about the program.
Then last fall, when Lauren Moody, a redshirt junior on the cross
Madaffari and Moody, others who have recently participated in the
(2017, men’s tennis), Jarrod James (2016, football) and Mike Jacobs (2015, men’s cross country and track and field).
This summer, Pedersen will be joined in Beaverton by Ryan Macri,
country and track and field teams, returned from her Nike internship,
a redshirt senior on the men’s lacrosse team. Pedersen said he will
“I was just talking with her more and more,” said Pedersen, a junior
focus on solving problems involving manufacturing or between
Pedersen became sold.
pole vaulter. “Then I just kind of developed more of an interest in (the
Nike internship) after doing a lot of research on the athletic market and the athletic apparel market.”
be a strategic operations and technology intern, a role in which he’ll different teams, among other issues.
“Working at Nike is a dream job,” Pedersen said.
Most people would say the same. And that’s why Pedersen said
So he applied for the 2018 program. And after a competitive
much of the interview process featured questions about what fuels
early March that he’d be following in the footsteps of Madaffari and
To answer those, Pedersen said he pulled from his own athletic background.
interview process that took place over the winter, he learned in
his passion for Nike.
ramsclub.com 23
“
TO BRING INSPIRATION AND INNOVATION TO EVERY ATHLETE IN THE WORLD” “When you put on a pair of Nike shoes or Nike track spikes,
you feel a sense of eliteness or you get a sense of courage for it, a little bit of power,” he said. “Throughout my athletic career, when I’ve put on different running shoes or different
spikes or different football cleats, they gave me that extra boost, that extra courage.
“I felt like if I was wearing Lance Armstrong shoes, I was
going to train my hardest; it gave me that courage and that extra effort. That kind of led me to a lot of that passion of helping inspire people through their products.”
In many ways, Pedersen’s thinking aligns with Nike’s
mission statement of bringing “inspiration and innovation to
every athlete in the world.” (Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman said, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.”)
Since accepting the internship, Pedersen said he’s received
advice from Ciocca and Moody. He’s also been in contact with
Madaffari, who joined Nike full-time after graduating from UNC in December 2016.
“I don’t know if there’s a better place to intern for a student-
athlete than Nike just because of its reputation as a great
employer,” said Madaffari, who serves as a Nike ambassador
and marketing expert in Boston in his position as an Ekin— Nike spelled backward.
“At the end of the day, if you’re getting your work done and
you know how to do a great job, you can train two hours a day
during lunch and you can come back and get your work done. That work-life balance of being able to pursue my passions in
sport and still having a great career setup was what made me want to work for Nike.”
At Nike, Madaffari said employees take a lot of pride in
the colleges they attended. And as an intern, he noticed how the veteran employees, a majority from West Coast schools, helped interns from their alma maters.
He said he didn’t feel like much of a UNC connection
existed. So he made developing one a priority when he joined Nike as a full-time employee.
24
BORN & BRED
-NIKE’S MISSION STATEMENT
“
IF YOU HAVE A BODY,
YOU ARE AN ATHLETE.” -NIKE CO-FOUNDER BILL BOWERMAN
“(Coordinator of Student-Athlete Career Development) Dana Gelin
headquartered in Cary that develops adhesives, coatings, motion
didn’t just want UNC people to have to fall back on her,” Madaffari
So as he looks forward to this summer in Beaverton, Pedersen
had helped me so much throughout the process that I realized I said. “And so I kind of made that a side goal that, ‘Hey, if I do end up
getting a full-time job, one of my goals is going to be to make UNC
as big of a deal on this campus as Oregon, Oregon State or Stanford.’
“That was something I was just very passionate about. Once I did
get the full-time offer, my next goal was, ‘How do I get more UNC kids to end up here?’”
Pedersen said he’d love to make a good enough impression that
he, too, could receive a full-time offer from Nike once he graduates. But that’s not his only goal.
management devices and sensing technologies.
said he’s eager to learn what he’d like and dislike in a future job. And he feels prepared for whatever awaits by his time at UNC.
“I think if I went to a different school, I wouldn’t have been
challenged as much and I wouldn’t have been pushed as much,” he
said. “UNC has allowed me to see what I can be and kind of pushed me toward it.”
As of now, that’s as yet another student-athlete who will carry the
UNC banner at Nike.
“It’s an honor, and I think it makes me want to work even
Enrolled in the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Pedersen is
harder to keep the reputation going, keep the partnership and the
Still, like many of his fellow classmates, he’s not exactly sure what he
“So there’s a lot of excitement with that, and I guess a little bit of
a business administration major with a minor in entrepreneurship. wants to do with his life after graduation.
Pedersen said he’s interested in many fields, including consulting,
sports, aerospace and entrepreneurship. Last summer, he was a
student associate with the aerospace and defense team at LORD Corporation, a diversified technology and manufacturing company
connection there for people coming behind me,” Pedersen said. pressure. But I think it’s really cool because I’m able to reach out to Chris or Lauren or other athletes and just say, ‘Hey, I’m a UNC athlete. You were, too.’
“It’s just an instant connection and an instant friendship or
mentorship.”
ramsclub.com 25
WHAT’S NEXT
$ 3 0 , 3 3 0 D O N AT E D
$75,000 GOAL
$15 CHAPEL HILL SPORTSWEAR IS DONATING 100% OF THE PURCHASE PRICE FOR FIRST 5,000 TEES SOLD DONATIONS TO THE WOODY DURHAM APHASIA FUND BENEFIT APHASIA RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS IN NORTH CAROLINA
GO WHERE YOU GO BENEFITING THE WOODY DURHAM APHASIA FUND WWW.CHAPELHILLSPORTSWEAR.COM 1.800.585.0086
You’ll never question the referees. Because you’re the one making the calls.
For more than a century, golfers have followed the tradition of calling their own penalties at Pinehurst Resort. Begin your own tradition on our legendary courses – just an hour away from Chapel Hill and unwind after your round with one of 40 services in our luxurious spa. The only call you’ll question is when to leave.
Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 877.647.2289 • pinehurst.com *Rate is per person, per night based on double occupancy. Valid 5.24 – 6.30.18. Subject to tax and resort service fee. $195 premium for Pinehurst No. 2.
ramsclub.com 27
© 2018 Pinehurst, LLC
Summer golf packages from $368*
BACK TO SCHOOL: Kaitlyn Anderson Spencer was a volleyball team captain in 2014 and three-time All-ACC Academic pick, and will graduate from dental school this spring.
28
BORN & BRED
BACK TO SCHOOL TAR HEEL STUDENT-ATHLETES HAVE FOUND THE SKILLS THEY LEARNED AS AN ATHLETE TRANSLATE SEAMLESSLY TO GRAD SCHOOL
A
BY LEE PACE PHOTOS BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
As undergrads and student-athletes at the University of North Carolina, their alarm clocks went off at 5 a.m. for off-season conditioning work. As graduate-school students, they’re up early to catch up on reading or class assignments. “I was up at 4:30 every morning in high school and 6 a.m. in college,” says Emma Nunn, a Tar Heel swimmer from 2012-16 now in law school at Carolina. “I personally like to get to school early and knock out a couple of hours early before class. It boggles my mind that people sleep through an 8:45 class.” As undergrads, they knew the sting of losing a tennis match or a baseball game. As grad students pursuing degrees in medicine, law or business, they’re accustomed to bouncing back from a bad day and getting back on track. “As athletes, we all experience failure of one form or another,” says Malia Cali, a distance runner from 2010-14 now just graduating from med school at LSU. “So you learn to deal with it. Okay, I lost my game. I lost my heat. You learn to formulate a plan and fix what went wrong.” And as Tar Heels on the fields and courts, they perfected their athletic technique— be it a serve in volleyball or pass protection in football. That process works in a graduate field like dentistry, where students have to learn to prep crowns and fabricate dentures.
ramsclub.com 29
WHAT’S NEXT?
through sports struggle with the time commitment and how hard “The mindset of an athlete translates very well to dentistry,” says it is.” Kaitlyn Spencer, a volleyball player from 2010-14 and a recent ECU Holland and Darien McNeil, walk-on wide receiver in 2012-13 now dental school graduate. “I have used the same competitive mindset in med school, had the same foundation. that fueled my drive to get better in volleyball to becoming a better “That first year, a lot of my classmates were talking about how clinician in dental school. We’re used to challenges.” long the days are and the down time they just don’t have any more,” Each spring hundreds of Tar Heel student-athletes take the Holland says. “Darien and I just looked at each other. This is a normal next step—a few to professional sports, most to the working world day. This is how it is.” and others to grad school. Some find their way back to grad Kelly McFarlane played soccer for Coach Anson Dorrance’s school several years after dipping their toe into the business and program from 2010-13, and then moved to a year of professional professional world. soccer followed by a stint with a health-care consulting firm. She just They unanimously find that the structure, discipline, resilience and completed her second year at Harvard Medical School and in two drive that served them well in athletics are integral pieces to the years in Cambridge has come to appreciate how the 12 “core values” toolbox of survival and ultimate success in working toward master that Dorrance established for his program apply to life beyond and doctoral degrees. college and the soccer field. “Sport itself is temporary,” says Cam Holland, the Tar Heels’ starting “Those values have been applicable in various says,” she says. center in football from 2009-11 who’s just completed year two in the “The work ethic and discipline are obvious. But things like caring and UNC School of Medicine. “At some point in time, your career is going teamwork are important. Around teamwork, one quote we read was, to end. But the things that you learn while taking that journey—that’s ‘No man is an island.’ Teamwork is huge in work and grad school, for the rest of your life. All the bumps in the road—I wouldn’t trade especially in medicine being part of a health them for anything. Maybe I’m not the biggest, care team providing care for patients.” strongest, fastest, smartest. But you won’t Chase Jones learned as a baseball player on outwork me. “Sport itself is temporary. At some Coach Mike Fox’s squads from 2006-11 how “It was one of the hardest things that I’ve to take constructive criticism from coaches, ever had to do—finding the sheer discipline point in time, your career is going team captains and teammates “and not get that you have to have to juggle the athletic to end. But the things that you learn angry or irate about the message, but turn it part and the academic part. Having learned while taking that journey—that’s around and execute in a positive manner.” He that, I don’t think there’s anything that I can’t just completed in May 2018 his MBA at the do now.” for the rest of your life....Maybe I’m Wharton School of Business at the University Holland is part of a distinguished group of not the biggest, strongest, fastest, of Pennsylvania and was also elected president offensive linemen on the 2008 roster, with four players eventually going to grad school: smartest. But you won’t outwork me.” of the Wharton Graduate Association. Many of the lessons he learned about building a culture Morgan Randall, med school at the University from Carolina baseball apply in his studies at Wharton and leading of Kentucky (2015); Lowell Dyer, law school at Tulane (2014); Mike school government. Ingersoll, law school at UNC (2017); and Holland. “I think back on the positive culture we had,” Jones says. “It’s not That hardly jibes with the news feed that emanated for several an easy thing to replicate. There are many challenges along the way. years of academic scandal around the football team of that era. But it’s amazing how much being a part of a baseball team translates “It’s very sad because there are a lot of very talented, very good to business school. We’re working in small groups—usually five or guys, very intelligent people who I shared a locker room, shared the six—but the idea is the same.” field with,” Holland says. “And nobody hears these stories. No one Using “quotes of the day” and starting meetings at very specific hears just what these players are about or what they accomplish or times are two of the tricks he borrowed from his Carolina days to what they have to do. People kind of know of the other things that apply to business school and student government. happened during that time.” “I took a page out of the Coach Fox and Dean Smith playbooks—we Ingersoll came to Chapel Hill from Mint Hill in 2006 knowing he start meetings at 7:02 p.m.,” he says with a laugh. wanted to be a lawyer. But he had a solid playing career and got a Former student-athletes know how to deal with pressure and chance at the NFL after his senior year in 2010, bouncing between failure. Those experiences give them a leg up in grad school over several teams and one in the Canadian Football League before a other students who’ve never missed a foul shot in front of thousands knee injury knocked him off the field for good. He entered law school of people or made a double-bogey in the ACC golf championships. in 2014, graduated in 2017 and today is an associate at Womble Cali ran track and cross country at Carolina from 2011-14 and then Bond Dickinson in Charlotte. entered med school at LSU, graduating in May. Two years into her “Fourteen and sixteen-hour days were relatively normal for me med school journey, she received a grade in the standardized “Step during football season, and the NFL was no different,” he says. “So 1” med school exam below her personally established goal. when you get to law school, you know how rigorous the days can “In my first big exam in med school, I fell a little short,” she said. be and you’re equipped to face it. Other kids who haven’t learned
“
30
BORN & BRED
BACK TO SCHOOL: Cam Holland was a standout center who blocked for Gio Bernard, and then turned his participation in the Medical Education Development program at Carolina into an opportunity to attend UNC’s School of Medicine.
ramsclub.com 31
WHAT’S NEXT?
BACK TO SCHOOL: n addition to her academic exploits, Malia Cali also traveled to Kenya on a mission trip with Student-Athletes Leading Social Change during her Tar Heel undergraduate career.
BACK TO SCHOOL: Before enrolling at the Wharton School of Business, Chase Jones created the very successful Vs. Cancer Foundation.
knowledge of the importance of balance to take to the next chapter “So I knew how to address it. I changed my game plan. I took the of her life. situation, analyzed it, formed a plan and went after it. In my Step 2 a “You can easily study 60 hours a week in med school if you year later, I did much better.” wanted to,” she says. “But I knew that I had to make a priority of Shelley Warner was on the rowing team from 2013-16, graduated keeping other things in my life. I feel I can be my best self with in 2016 and recently began her third year in the UNC School of maintaining balance. There’s classwork. I enjoy tutoring. Exercise Medicine. She cites the stress of concentrating for eight hours is important.” during her Step 1 exam as comparing to the While all of these former student-athletes rigor of focus and exertion during a race like might miss competition, they make up for the 2K—with four to eight rowers stroking for it by remaining physically active. McFarlane six to eight minutes for a distance of 1.24 miles. “I think back on the positive culture runs regularly and, when she can fit it in, “When I am having trouble concentrating we had. It’s not an easy thing to works as a graduate manager with the or doubting my ability, I get the same feelings I had during certain difficult practices and replicate. There are many challenges Harvard women’s soccer team. “You have to get away from the classroom and the books,” races,” Warner says. “Rowing was an extremely along the way. But it’s amazing how she says. “You have to have things that keep tough sport mentally. For the 2K, the whole much being a part of a baseball you sane and keep you grounded.” race is pushing with everything you have from “Running in college was like the source of the start. Figuring out how to create dialogues team translates to business school.” my stress,” adds Cali, who rises regularly at 5 in my head that push me through and get to a.m. for five- to 10-mile runs. “You want to do the finish line was a great skill that I use now, well, you feel like that is why you are there. I still compete some, especially when I’m doubting myself in an exam setting.” but now running is fun and a way to keep in shape. It’s stress relief. Michelle Ikoma was a Tar Heel gymnast from 2010-14 and used People ask, ‘How do you find time to work out?’ I have to find time. her degree in business and exercise & sports science to enter the You learn there are other things in life—health and sanity are two business world for 18 months. She worked 60 to 70 hours and of them.” “burned out quickly,” she says, and after deciding to apply for med The voice of experience—from undergrad and grad-level views. school (she entered UNC’s program in 2017), she had first-hand
“
32
BORN & BRED
BACK TO SCHOOL: Kelly McFarlane was a two-time All-ACC Academic pick at Carolina and a member of the 2012 national champions.
ramsclub.com 33
WHAT’S NEXT?
34
BORN & BRED
COACHING UP
GRADUATES
MEN’S LACROSSE COACH JOE BRESCHI W I T H S O M E A D V I C E T O TA R H E E L G R A D U AT E S BY JOE BRESCHI
P H O T O S B Y J E F F R E Y C A M A R AT I
In 2012, men’s lacrosse coach Joe Breschi was asked to address the student-athlete graduation event. The following is the text of his remarks, which remain just as applicable today as they were the day he delivered them.
“
As a fellow alum, I commend all of you in this room on a wonderful accomplishment and a great achievement today…as a coach, I want to challenge all of you. As a graduate in 1990 from UNC, I had no strong conviction of what I wanted to do with my future or where I wanted to live…and to me that was OK, for my parents, not so much. I had tackled a few internships during my summer months and worked lacrosse camps on the weekends throughout my four years. Not having a firm grip on my future plans like some of my classmates and friends was a little stressful at times, But I did have a plan…not with regards to what I was going to do or where I was going to live, but what was important to me when I left this amazing Institution and all the experiences that helped define who I am today. There were four key questions that marinated with me as I started off on life’s journey outside the protective “Bubble” we call Chapel Hill: I want to challenge all of our student-athletes here today to reflect on these questions before you hit the real world in the coming months.
1
SUCCESS:
2
A D V E RS I T Y:
3
L E A D E RS H I P :
4
ENTHUSIASM:
How will you define Success in your life?
How will you handle Adversity as it appears in your life?
How will you apply the Leadership skills you’ve learned as a student-athlete to your own life?
Will you go through life with great energy, embracing every moment of every day?
These are simple, yet defining questions as you enter life’s biggest challenge: being on your own.
ramsclub.com 35
WHAT’S NEXT?
1 • •
•
SUC C ESS Is success to you, graduating with a degree from the University of North Carolina…YES Is it sharing four, sometimes five years of your life with friends, teammates, administrators and coaches…through the blood, sweat and tears of practice to compete to your fullest potential both in the classroom and on the field of play for the Carolina Blue…YES Is success leaving UNC with relationships that will last a lifetime…YES
I challenge you to ask yourself when you leave the Blue Cups of He’s Not Here, Football Saturdays at Kenan Stadium and the grind of daily practices in your sport…what will SUCCESS mean to you? • •
36
Is it job security, and the amount of money you’ll be making? Is it the size of the house you’re living in or the make and model of the car you’re driving?
BORN & BRED
As you get older like me…your vision of success changes to its simplest form: Success is being happy. Success is being a good dad or mom, husband or wife, or a good friend to others. Success is staying true to yourself and your values. Success is doing what you love to do every day. Success is following your dreams.
*
I CHALLENGE YOU TO HAVE A CLEAR DIRECTION ON HOW YOU WANT TO DEFINE SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE…AS MOST OF YOU WILL FACE LIFE WITHOUT A FINAL SCORE!
2
ADVERSITY
It’s a part of everyone’s life. The last four years, adversity to you may be getting a tough grade on a paper or an exam. Maybe it was riding the bench, and not getting the playing time you (and your parents) felt you deserved or were entitled to. Maybe it was a season ending injury that made you feel a little distant from the team and not a key part of the program’s success.
*
I CHALLENGE YOU TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN YOU LEAVE THE COURT, FIELD, POOL OR GYM, HOW WILL YOU HANDLE A NEW SET OF ADVERSE SITUATIONS ON YOUR OWN?
3
athlete, or will you look for an excuse?
Maybe it’s a job you love but you’re underpaid and overworked? Maybe it’s as simple as a relationship where you’re in love… but the man or woman doesn’t feel the same way about you.
I challenge you to use the skills and strength you acquired through being a student-athlete at UNC to persevere through tough times, I know I did. Tragically I lost my only son, Michael, in 2004 at the age 3 ½ when he was hit by a car at his pre-school. If it wasn’t for the amazing support system of friends, teammates and coaches I had as a student-athlete, and still have here today at UNC, I would not be standing before you today with an amazing wife Julie, four precious daughters (Samantha, Abby, Lucy and Emily) with an opportunity to coach at the greatest University on earth. I share this with you because adversity hits in so many ways and most of the time it’s unexpected. My message is simple and I share it with my players all the time: 10 percent of life is what happens to you and 90 percent is how you react to it! Carolina Athletics is and will always be your family.
LEADERS H IP
Make no mistake, Every student-athlete in this room is a leader. You are all on a path to graduate from UNC because your high school coach, a club coach or someone we, as college coaches, trusted, and told us that you were a good person, a solid student…..a great leader. You have the skills to make a difference and the University of North Carolina has helped you develop these skills at all levels through the Leadership Academy and being part of an athletics team and department that is second to none.
*
I CHALLENGE YOU TODAY TO USE THESE ACQUIRED LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO BETTER YOURSELF, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO BETTER THOSE AROUND YOU.
4
A fellow employee gets a promotion over you, how will you react? Will it make you work harder like you did as a student-
Great leaders always think about how to make the team better before themself. Great leaders sacrifice one’s personal achievement so others will be recognized. Great leaders are innovative and take risks to challenge themselves and those around them to step out of their comfort zone to achieve greatness. Cherish the opportunity to have a positive impact on others by using your leadership skills to make a difference!
ENTHUSIASM
You’re probably thinking…Sure coach, I’m enthusiastic. I know all of you have embraced competing with great enthusiasm to win events and games with your teammates and coaches. I know most of you at some point have had tremendous enthusiasm and energy to experience fraternity row or Franklin Street on Friday and Saturday nights. My point is this: everyone in this room is so gifted but the daily grind of life will sometimes test you, and you will need a positive attitude and confidence to truly reach your full potential. You are just scratching the surface of your true talents and being positive is contagious and will help
you make the most of who you are and who you will become. I challenge you to take a moment to laugh and smile at some point every day. Embrace having an enthusiasm for life and the impact it will have on others, as none of us ever knows what tomorrow may bring. Finally, as an alum, I thank you for making our University and athletic department a better place the last four years and I wish you all the best. As a coach, and I’m sure I can speak for all the coaches here today…we are proud of you and we believe in you.
ramsclub.com 37
FIRST PERSON
Y
‘A growth mindset’
You may be surprised to hear that in a culture of success such
as Carolina, my definition of success actually changed over the
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...”
At UNC and at a tech company in a rapidly growing industry,
course of my four years. It wasn’t that I realized winning isn’t
both uber-competitive environments, we can’t forget to work
winning isn’t everything, never won anything.” I found in Carolina
successful because they are the most talented, they are successful
everything, because as Mia Hamm put best: “The person who said
a place where my competitive fire was stoked and valued more than ever before; however, I realized that the small wins in each day, and the process of striving for those wins with a group that I truly cared about, was more important than the end result.
The women’s soccer program at Carolina is an environment that
nurtures this process in a way that impacted my life far beyond
the field. Our program may have the reputation for churning out Olympians, but this environment also prepares us better than most for endeavors outside of athletics. I’m no Olympian, but I
together and care about each other. Successful teams aren’t just because a group of individuals has collectively decided that the
team is greater than its individual parts. Successful teams have cultures built on caring and the notion that your teammates are inherently valuable, not only for their talents but because they are
human. If you care about each other, then you have the ability to constantly push yourself and each other to get better, working
towards a common goal – and you also have a lot more fun doing it.
The UNC women’s soccer program encouraged me to
was fortunate enough to pursue a childhood dream of playing
embrace the daily challenge of living a growth mindset, while
early in December 2016. It was an amazing experience and
the journey, lessons applicable no matter where life takes me.
professional soccer in Sweden and Scotland after graduating culmination of my soccer career that has undoubtedly shaped my
also instilling the importance of caring about each other along
worldview. Now, at the ripe age of 23, I have officially hung up my cleats to work for Microsoft in Redmond, Washington.
I always knew the impact of Carolina soccer would be a part of
me for the rest of my life, but what I didn’t realize is how much the
culture Anson has built would pervade the work culture that I am a part of now. Microsoft’s new CEO, Satya Nadella has implemented a culture shift centered around psychologist and author Carol Dweck’s concept of the “growth mindset.” This is a page taken right out of Anson’s book, and the perfect way to describe what his program is all about. The “Competitive Cauldron” is Anson’s system of driving improvement by measuring, recording and
ranking every possible drill in training. It may sound intense,
which it certainly is, but there is no better way to tangibly track
growth. Anson calls this goal of constant improvement the “neverending ascension,” while Dweck calls it the “growth mindset,” but they are essentially the same thing and applicable to any effort of achievement.
In addition to the growth mindset, in reading Satya’s new
book, I was delighted to come across many other quotes and philosophies that I first heard from Anson Dorrance and the Carolina women’s soccer core values. One specifically that
stood out to me is John Donne’s quote that pairs with the core value for “caring.” It reads, “no man is an island, entire of itself,
38
BORN & BRED
DARCY MCFARLANE
Women’s Soccer, 2013-16 Illustration by Jason McCorkle
CAROLINA INSIDER PODCAST HOSTED BY JONES ANGELL AND ADAM LUCAS
POWERED BY
ramsclub.com 39
40
BORN & BRED