ECU Excels celebrates success

A College of Health and Human Performance-specific full photo gallery, curated by Nehemiah Wallace and Mack Keenan, is available to scroll through in capturing many of the moments shared by HHP students, staff and faculty. The following is a story by ECU News Services, which features student Ja’Hleel Foreman and professor Dr. Edwin Gomez.

ECU Excels celebrates successes of freshmen, transfer students

By Ken Buday

Kinley Nance showed up at East Carolina University in the fall not knowing what to expect. The freshman from Chadbourn was nearly three hours from home, living on her own for the first time and having to adjust to college academics.

“The adjustment to being away from home, it hit me a little bit harder than I thought it would,” Nance said. “I’ve never been a person who’s a homebody, but when I came here, it just hit me a bit harder than I expected, just the transition to being alone.”

But Nance wasn’t alone. The design major found a mentor in Michelle Blount, a GEAR UP success coach with ECU’s Student Academic Success Services.

“She’s always one of those smiling faces,” Nance said of Blount.

Ja’Hleel Foreman, a sophomore from Virginia Beach, Virginia, speaks to HHP director of advising Kellie Dill during ECU Excels. (Photo by Ken Buday)

Freshmen and transfer students who achieved a 3.0 GPA in their first semesters at ECU — and the faculty and staff members who helped them along the way — were honored during ECU Excels in January in the ballrooms of the Main Campus Student Center. Students participated in a scavenger hunt, enjoyed snacks and met with faculty and staff mentors they selected to be part of the celebration.

“I can’t believe the energy in this room. This is really exciting,” Chris Buddo, interim provost and senior vice chancellor for the Division of Academic Affairs, told the more than 750 attendees.

He said the transition to college is not easy, from being away from home for the first time and social activities to the difficulty of college classes.

“Being here today means you have made academics your priority, and we want to recognize and celebrate that achievement,” he said.

He said he was honored to recognize faculty and staff who inspired the new students and ensured their transition to ECU was as smooth as possible.

“That’s what Pirates do. We take care of one another,” he said.

Freshman nursing major Destiny Barrera said Blount took care of her.

“Ms. Blount is really caring,” said Barrera, from Lillington. “She helps you out with your grades because she has a grade tracker. She listens to your personal problems as well. She gives wonderful advice. If we have a problem with classes, we ask for advice, and she gives us good advice back.”

Blount said she emphasizes academics to her students, but also simple things such as eating healthy.

“I call myself their momma away from home because I do mother them. I treat them like they were my own children,” Blount said.

Ja’Hleel Foreman came to ECU focused on academics as a recreation and park management sophomore from Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“I didn’t have a lot of expectations of getting a 3.0, but I knew at the end of the day that it was something I really wanted,” he said. “I want to be a really good student academically, but also all around. I want to do things that make people proud of me — like my mom, my dad, my siblings, just doing things that show them that they can do this too. That’s what I really want to do.”

He credits Dr. Edwin Gomez, a professor of recreation sciences in the College of Health and Human Performance, for motivating him and helping his transition to college.

“You never know how much you’re doing for a student, and to have a student tell you that you helped in their success is humbling, but also very exciting,” Gomez said. “There are very few rewards that you get as faculty, and one of them is to know that we made a difference somehow to someone. It’s an honor.”

He said new students often don’t know one very simple rule.

“Speak to your professors. Communication is the key. I think they feel sometimes like they can’t, but they don’t realize we actually want them to,” Gomez said. “The earlier they can do that, the better, because we are really able to help them. And that’s with anything — the transition to college to what resources are available, to studying techniques, to how to navigate the course — all that is helpful, especially if you’re a first-generation student. Just know that it’s OK to speak to your professor.”

Chris Buddo, interim provost and senior vice chancellor for the Division of Academic Affairs, speaks during ECU Excels. (Photo by Zach Karamalegos)