Tag Archives: student life

International Studies

International Student Spotlight – Faith Mahone

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Photos Provided By Faith Mahone

By: Celestia Randolph, Staff Writer

The Office of International Affairs celebrates the idea of preparing students for a diverse world by introducing students to foreign cultures. One of the ways the office realizes this ambition for Wingate students, international and American, alike, is through the International Student program.

This semester alone, Wingate is hosting over one hundred international students across three campuses. These students come from forty-three different countries. Seventy-three percent of these international students are athletes, but what draws the other twenty-six percent of international students to Wingate University?

Faith Mhone transferred to Wingate to pursue a degree in nursing, she is a Student Government Association senator. Drawn to the Carolinas by a sense of adventure, and her desire for the life-changing experience of studying in an unfamiliar environment and culture, Faith stepped out of her comfort zone and onto a plane out of Malawi, Africa.

Determined to cultivate a sense of independence and confidence, Faith has an inspiring history as an involved member of whichever student body she is a part of. After excelling in the nationwide examinations given to all collegiate hopefuls of her country, Faith began her collegiate career in the States at Central Piedmont Community College.

Early on, she struggled to overcome the protective shell the monotony of driving to the CPCC campus from her host family’s home, attending courses, and heading straight to work in the International Affairs office created. It was her protection against the culture shock, but also kept her from making the most of her experience.

Realizing how much she was missing, Faith quickly became a member of the student council, eventually becoming president of the International Student Association.

After two years at the community college, the time came to decide where she would complete her education. She looked at many local schools, both public and private. None of them provided scholarships for international students.

Wingate, however, did offer a significant scholarship to international students, and it was also conveniently located. Because it was near enough to her host home, she could commute to school without having to pay residential costs.

Her advice to other international students would be to get involved with campus groups and to take advantage of resources provided by the University. “You never know the impact you will have!” she said. She also encourages other international students to never underestimate the influence their voices can have.

Edited By: Rachael Robinson

student life

Student Advice to Freshmen

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 By: Sarah Everhart, Staff Writer

Freshman year is a new and exciting time, but can also be a very confusing time for a lot of students. The first year of college is one of the most stressful, life-changing years of a student’s life. Many people choose their major, participate in clubs, greek life, or other organizations and find their life-long friends during this time.

One thing that most, if not all, freshmen have in common is that they could benefit from some advice at this point in the year.

Senior, Regan Huneycutt, suggests“to push yourself and reach for things you never thought you could accomplish,” over the next four years. Reflecting on her college years, she says, “It’s an amazing feeling to look back as you are about to graduate on all the things you never imagined you could do and look forward to the bright future you have ahead of you because of all you have done.”

One very imperative thing to do while in college is to get involved and to make friends and memories.

Emily Holbrook, a senior at Wingate reflects, “I am so thankful for everything this university has given me- I would not be who I am today if it wasn’t for Wingate. If I could stand in front of the freshmen today and give them advice I would tell them to get involved and to not take what the university has to offer for granted.”

Emily is a sister of Alpha Xi Delta on campus, and she strongly advocates for the importance of getting involved in something on campus.

Academics are also a crucial part of the college experience, and managing a heavy workload can be one of the hardest parts of freshman year.

Junior, Alyssa Nelson says, “Don’t procrastinate, keep up with your work, take time for yourself, and be open to change.”

Forming a good work ethic and a good study schedule that is easy to stick to is a good thing for a freshman to do.

“Some of the most important advice I can give is to go to class, keep up with all of the work, ask questions and go to office hours,” says sophomore, Jacob Baker.

Keeping up with classes makes it very attainable to make good grades.

College is such an exciting time in all of our lives, and it is important to make the most of it while it lasts because it flies by too fast. So, focus on your schoolwork, but do not forget to get out there and make friends and life-long memories.

Edited by: Rachael Robinson

student, Wingate University

Pushing New Boundaries at Wingate University

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Savanna Harris, Staff Writer

The start of your college journey can come across as daunting. In most cases, everything is new. New city, new people, the list goes on.

From moving into a space filled with unfamiliar faces to hoping that you don’t walk into the wrong room on your first day of classes, it can all seem rather intimidating.

No one knows this to be true more than the 933 new members of the freshman class of 2022 here at Wingate. With orientation long over and classes beginning more than two weeks ago now, they have gotten a firsthand look at college life.

Freshmen Kayden Wilson and Hailey McCarty were both eager to share their thoughts.

Overall, the general consensus seemed to be that, so far, college is great but definitely a far cry from high school.

According to Hailey, “It’s very… different from the life that I am used to. I’ve never had this amount of freedom before. There’s definitely been a learning curve as I’ve figured things out.”

On the other hand, Kayden went as far as to say, “Honestly, college, in my opinion, is amazing. Personally, I thought I would end up being homesick, but I took Ruth’s (one of the Orientation leaders) advice when she said to get involved and have loved every second on this campus!”

Getting involved in your new community can be one of the best ways to become more connected to it. Along with potentially opening up new opportunities, it allows for the chance to connect with people on an individual level.

“I am a part of the Common Ground worship ministry here on campus, as a singer,” Hailey said. “It’s been really cool meeting other people who are into the same things that I am through that program. I’m also thinking about joining the Psychology Club, but I haven’t fully decided yet.”

Another way to meet new people, although this one isn’t quite so voluntary, is living in a dorm for the first time. Hailey and Kayden are thankfully enjoying their new living situations.

Kayden said, “I love my roomies and my suitemates across the hall! We have an open door policy and it makes me feel a lot closer with them.” It remains true that living in that close of quarters with people can cause friendships to form extremely quickly.

All in all, let’s face it, being a freshman can be scary. But, despite occasional homesickness or a particularly stressful class or assignment, college is the adventure of a lifetime. It may not seem like it at times, but running through a downpour to make your 8 a.m. will be worth it in the end. There might even be time for the occasional Netflix binge, too.

Edited by Rachael Robinson

Football, student, Wingate University

Candlelight Vigil held for the passing of Wingate student Geoffrey Dawkins

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Gabriela Cabrera, Staff Writer

Wingate University students were silent as they gathered together on Thursday to hold a candlelight vigil for a sophomore who passed away earlier this week.

Geoffrey Dawkins, a sophomore criminal justice major, passed away at CMC Main in Charlotte, North Carolina. Students honored his memory by gathering together to share the joy he had brought to each of them. Geoffrey was a member of the Wingate Pep band and Marching band and also the Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Students gather for a candlelight vigil for the passing of Geoffrey Dawkins

Noah Couick, student manager of Wingate University’s Writing Center, said that Geoffrey was not only a fighter through his sickness, but also through his academics.

“He frequently visited the Writing Center for help with papers and had a zeal to succeed,” said Couick. “I look back and am honored to know that I read the papers of this student.”

Students assembled on the Stegall lawn, hugging and sharing support as Shannon Powell, the director of the Campus Fellowship for Christian Athletes, opened with prayer.

Shelby Dworek, a junior, said she felt comforted being surrounded by friends who also knew Geoffrey.

“You could hear people crying as Mr. Powell started praying. We were all there to support each other in this loss,” said Dworek.

Gage Sumrall, a sophomore who shared the same Kappa Alpha Order fraternity as Dawkins, said that Dawkins was not only a friend and fellow band member, but a brother to him as well.

“Geoffrey Dawkins will be missed by many, but I am so happy to know that his health will never be an issue again,” said Sumrall.

Geoffrey suffered from a skin disease that affected his skin, nails and hair growth. By sophomore year in high school he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that makes it hard for the heart to deliver blood throughout the body.

Cardell Rawlings, a senior, said that once someone got to know Dawkins, he was easily the most genuine and happiest person to walk this Earth.

Rawlings, along with Sumrall and others on the football team, surprised Dawkins, before he passed, by visiting him at CMC Main.

Levine_Dawkins_Nov_3
Photo from Wingate Bulldogs Site

Rawlings said Dawkins kept mentioning how much he wished he could have been at the Wingate homecoming game.

“He stayed so positive and kept telling me, ‘Keep going, keep grinding, it’s all going to pay off’,” said Rawlings. “That hit me then and has hit me even deeper now.”

The vigil ended with the students reciting the Lord’s prayer.

The fraternity brothers of Kappa Alpha Order set up a Go Fund Me page for Dawkins’ family, to help pay his medical bills.

https://www.gofundme.com/geoffrey-dawkins-hospital-bills

Edited by: Brea Childs

Photo cover by: Gabriela Cabrera

Sports, Wingate University

Track and Field Team prepares for its upcoming season

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Track and Field Team Overview

Tariah Harrell, Staff Writer

The Wingate University men’s and women’s track and field teams have began their preseason practices for the 2016-2017 season. Head coach of the men’s and women’s track and field teams Travis Leflore and graduate assistant sprint coach Cole Henderson has given us a little insight on how they feel about this preseason and this upcoming indoor and outdoor season.

“The 2016 preseason is looking very encouraging for us,” Leflore said. “We have a lot of new faces to mix in with a strong group of returners. Athletes are looking strong and fit, which for us means a lot. We’re going to continue to build on the great start and try to keep everyone healthy. That mixture will lead to a successful year.”

“The 2016 preseason is looking promising for WUTF” grad assistant Cole Henderson said. “Some students have came back from summer training looking like brand new versions of themselves. The testing week showed growth in strength and speed from returners. Many of the athletes are experiencing some hard workouts, but understand that is the little improvements that add to future accomplishments. I believe the team could be called ‘Wingate Hills’ instead of Wingate Bulldogs right now because we will be running a lot of hills during this preseason.”

WUTF has been on a roll the past two seasons (indoor and outdoor), meanwhile fighting through struggles as days go on as they continue striving to become the best team in the country physically, mentally and emotionally.

“As head coach of this team, my job is to not only prepare our student-athletes for the season, but also our staff,” Lefore says. “As a staff, and a young staff, we’ve done a lot during the offseason to continue to progress this program. We’ve focused a lot on nutrition and hydration with our athletes this preseason, really driving home how important it is to take care of your body to improve. Obviously on the track, we have been working to get as fit as possible while staying injury free; and emotionally, we have been talking about faith, whether someone believes in that or not. That is something that has brought us closer together as a program.”

Cole Henderson, who is a former Wingate track and field superstar, is now in his 2nd year of grad school and being a coach. His mindset has changed tremendously from an ‘athlete’s’ mindset, to a coach’s point of view, but yet he can still relate.

“Mentally I am trying to prepare the athletes to consciously understand what their body is doing during performance. I do not want any athlete to simply just go through the motions of sprinting and hurdling. I try to challenge them to get out of their comfort zone when performing different repetitive workouts. Practice is the time to make mistakes and learn from them.”

“Physically, I am trying to prepare my athletes to be strong, therefore there are a lot of workouts that demand strength from the athlete. Threshold and capacity workouts will be implemented before speed, which becomes the cement over the foundation. Emotionally, I hope I am preparing my athletes to lean on God by example. Whenever an athlete is emotionally stricken, I like to remind the athletes that we serve a good God and to lean on him in times of need through prayer” Henderson replies.

In the South Atlantic Conference Championships this past March, men’s track and field placed 3rd, while the women placed 2nd, losing to Queens University by a few points. “I fully expect for both men and women to win the SAC conference championships this year,” Henderson said.

“I have been a part of the WUTF program for 6 years and this is the most competitive women’s team I have ever seen. The women’s team is filled with veterans that are ‘hungry’ for the championship. While on the men’s side has seen success in 2014 at the SAC championships, last year’s 3rd place finish was a big upset. The memory of last year’s defeat is fueling the men’s team this year, and it is evident by the hard work they have been showing, ”Henderson said.

Leflore, being the youngest track and field coach in NCAA Division II history and first AfricanAmerican head coach at Wingate, says that his expectations for the team is fairly simple. He expects the WUTF to be one of the top teams in the region and conference, and continue to have more athletes competing in the NCAA National Championships while also moving up in their national rankings.

“I want our young men and women to grow as individuals”. WUTF’s team morales has become very high since Isaiah Kyle’s return to campus after an intense health scare. Leflore and Henderson both say that the team morale has been high and has brought the team closer together.

“We have all been through a lot as a team, but we have all witnessed God’s grace and mercy with Isaiah coming back on campus, and we are so happy to have him back,” Leflore responds.” The love and support shown by the university and student body was graciously overwhelming,”

Cole Henderson says. “It was special to see the faith aspect of Wingate University be fulfilled during that hard time. People who didn’t know Isaiah personally were praying for him and prayer was the powerful tool that helped complete the process.”

As the team gets ready for their 1st indoor meet, the coaches are preparing not only their athletes but also themselves for the upcoming season. “As head coach, we deal with so much daily, I think the big thing for me is just to continue to improve across the board and be ready for everything,” Coach Travis responded.

“Motivation for the team can come in so many different ways, I am constantly thinking of ways to keep everyone motivated through the long season.” As for grad assistant Cole Henderson, he says he prepares by praying over the team and for himself that he can lead accordingly.

“I pray for my sanity at times because coaching is not easy. I try to learn from my elders, such as Coach Travis, Coach Whitney, and Coach Ashley, by asking them questions and following their lead. I am continuing to grow from things that I did last year as a coach and improving the program by any means necessary; and with that commitment, I hope to see success fall into place”.

The Wingate Bulldogs first meet is December 3rd at the JDL Kickoff Classic in Winston- Salem, North Carolina.

Edited by: Sara Gunter

Uncategorized, Wingate University

Students prep for the future with Internships and Career Services

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Tips for Internships and Career Services 

Cierra Smith, Staff Writer

As many college students may know, the stresses of getting out into the workforce after spending four years earning a degree can be monumental. During those four years, the students spend the majority of their time researching what they want to do and who they want to be once graduating, and that can also be an added stress. Depending on the school, there are an abundance of different resources on-campus that can help aid in the process of finding employment, as well as prepare students with the necessary experience that they may need when entering the workforce.

Here at Wingate, we have just that! The Office of Internships and Career Services, is an on-campus organization that aims to help students find internships and jobs prior to graduation, as well as serve as a resource for students when it comes to the different aspects of their majors.

In an interview with the Assistant Director of the office, Candice Sturdivant, she was able to lay out a few key things about her job, as well as valuable information about the Office of Internships and Career Services. When talking about internships, it’s important to know what they actually are.

Candice described internships as opportunities for students to learn more about a career that interests them, as well as a way to gain real-world job experience through hands-on learning. With internships, not only are they essential when it comes to gaining experience in your career-field of choice, but they are also great resume builders.

Candice stressed that it is not imperative to have an internship, but did mention that having one could give you the upper hand when it comes to interviewing for jobs once graduating from college.

In the Office of Internships and Career Services, there are six career advisors, including Candice, who serve as allies to help students within particular majors get their careers started. They work with students to build resumes, find what career they want to go into, as well as aid them in other areas of academics.

The office also has an online database, CareerGate, which populates the legitimate jobs and internships in the areas surrounding Wingate and the database is meant to be used as a tool for students looking for employment opportunities.

During the interview, Candice mentioned that the office looks at other job databases and personally picks out jobs that they know will be of interest to students and jobs that relate to the majors here at Wingate. As the interview wrapped up, Candice shared that the most rewarding part of working in the Office of Internships and Career Services is being able to help students navigate their way through their college journey and seeing all of the success stories of the students who visited the office while in college.

Candice also said that the most challenging part was advertising the office and getting more students into their doors. One last thing that Candice stressed during the interview was to not be afraid to stop by the office, which is located on the first floor of Alumni Hall. All of the career advisers are there to help students in any way that they can when it comes to their career of choice and enjoy being an ally for students here at Wingate.

Edited by: Sara Gunter

Wingate University

Study Abroad Peer Mentor Program Starts at Wingate

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Beginning of a new program to connects its students Internationally

Megan Katz, Staff Writer

This semester, Wingate’s Office of International Programs is beginning a new Peer Mentor program to connect students interested in studying abroad with mentors who have already completed their respective programs.

Ms. Lizz Baxter, Assistant Director of International Programs at Wingate University, crafted this program from a pre-existing model, because she says she wanted there to be a platform for students who go abroad to be able to share their stories.

Ms. Baxter says it was evident the most effective way students get information about study abroad opportunities is through a personal connection, and she wanted to help make those connections stronger.

“The first mentor assignment has been to speak in Gateway classes upon request,” says Ms. Baxter. “We have a language fair that the mentors will be involved with, as well as the W’International Pre-departure.”

Peer mentors will also have the opportunity to speak at special events like Family Weekend and Scholar’s Day.

Sophomore Danielle Nook is one of the student mentors in this program. She had the opportunity to participate in the Costa Rica Language Immersion program this past summer.

“I had an absolutely incredible time on my study abroad program, and I wanted to share that with other people and encourage them to do the same,” says Nook.

Nook says that any student who may be wary about going abroad should really just take the time to talk to a mentor. Going abroad is a priceless opportunity, and there may be so many ways to achieve that experience that students may never think of, Nook says.

Ms. Jennifer Armentrout, Director of International Programs, says, “I am excited to see this program come together, and I look forward to even more students taking advantage of the many opportunities we offer to go abroad on high impact programs.”

A bulletin board featuring the pictures and biographies of all of the current peer mentors will soon be posted in the lobby of Alumni and the DPC.

Ms. Baxter says she is always looking for more mentors, so if you are interested in becoming a mentor or studying abroad, please contact the Office of International Programs at e.baxter@wingate.edu or international@wingate.edu.

Keep an eye out for the Language Fair which will be held in the cafeteria on October 4th from 11-1pm, as well as International Education Week which will happen in November. Please contact Ms. Baxter if you would like to propose an event for that week.

Edited by: Sara Gunter