As the spring semester draws to a close, seniors will once again don their blue commencement gowns and head off to new adventures. We asked five College majors to dish on their most memorable classes, favorite campus spots, dream jobs and what they’ll miss most about Carolina. Read more senior profiles: Timothy Palpant, Gabriel Whaley, Elizabeth McCain and Amber Koonce.
For senior Lindsey Jefferies, it’s all about taking flight. In her sophomore year, she launched Born 2 Step, UNC’s only non-Greek-affiliated step team, open to all students at any experience level. After graduation, she intends a more literal kind of launch, as a helicopter pilot in the North Carolina Army National Guard. She will leave UNC as a Distinguished Military Graduate, representing the top 20 percent of more than 5,000 ROTC cadets nationwide, and she also served as captain of UNC’s Ranger Challenge Team in Army ROTC.
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
Major: Psychology and Sociology
Minor: Military Science
Most memorable class at UNC: A two-part, advanced military tactics and leadership course during my junior year. The instructor, Captain Adam Carollo, taught me so much about decision making. Had I not taken these classes, I would not have the confidence and planning skills that I have acquired. These classes provided me with a wise and experienced mentor for my future military career.
Favorite campus spot: The Undergraduate Library. It is in the perfect location in the middle of campus, and its new look creates a feeling of home. The U.L. is a place that I can go to study hard, sleep hard or meet up with friends.
Dream job: To fly helicopters! This dream will actually come true after I graduate in May and commission into the North Carolina Army National Guard as a 2nd Lieutenant. I am projected to go to flight school for two years to learn how to fly Black Hawks. Upon my graduation from flight school, I hope to become the first female African American Black Hawk Pilot for the North Carolina Army National Guard! It’s been my dream to fly since the ninth grade when I was first introduced to aviation in the Air Force JROTC program at Broughton High School. When I flew in a small fixed-wing plane, and then in a Black Hawk, the passion to fly was planted in my heart and mind.
What I will miss most about Carolina: Born 2 Step. I have set the foundation for so many friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime. It is an organization full of laughter and smiles and free of stress. B2S has become my get-away, and I will miss my organization deeply. I am honored to leave my footprint on UNC.
[By Glenn McDonald, from spring ’12 Carolina Arts & Sciences magazine. Photo by Mary Lide Parker ’10.]
