ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University has partnered with Sony Music Entertainment to provide job shadowing opportunities for music production and Human Resources management students.
“It is partnerships like these that allow our students to experience real-world applications from the learning outcomes they attained in the classroom. Having the ability to offer these extraordinary opportunities prepares our students for their career after graduation and establishes a network of professionals with a major music entertainment company like Sony,” stated Dr. Evan D. Duff, Interim President of North Carolina Wesleyan University.
Recently selected NCWC students Brianna Skipwith, Conner Hayes and David Bolivar will travel next week, March 4-6, to participate in the spring break 2020 Sony job shadowing experience. These students along with Dr. Katrina Sweet, NCWC Assistant Professor of Business, will be able to work side by side with Sony Entertainment’s human resource professionals. During their time in NYC, they will also visit the 9/11 memorial and attend a Broadway show.
“HR was once viewed as the old personnel department isolated from the rest of the organization. Now HR is viewed as a strategic partner and is a part of the strategic planning phase of an organization. Students will be able to see both the two way linkage and integrative linkage and how each interrelates with the strategic goals and performance outcomes of an organization,” stated Dr. Katrina Sweet.
Hayes acknowledges he hopes to “see the business fundamentals, practices, and organizational concepts that I learned in the classroom be applied in a real-world setting” adding, “I believe the wealth of knowledge and relationships I will gain will open up many more doors in the future.”
Last October, NCWC students Will Plyler and Josh Strausser received the opportunity to visit The Orchard, a renowned Sony recording studio, and shadow some of Sony’s top music production engineers. North Carolina Wesleyan University looks forward to more of their students having these same opportunities in the near future.
NC Native and Award-Winning Actress to Speak at NCWC Commencement
April 2020 commencement speaker
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University is excited to announce Sharon Lawrence as their April 2020 commencement speaker. Lawrence is an award-winning actress with roles on NYPD Blue, Grey’s Anatomy and the CBS comedy, “Me, Myself and I.” A native of North Carolina, she was born in Charlotte and later moved to Raleigh where she graduated from Broughton High School. Lawrence attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
“Based on her ties to North Carolina and success in the entertainment industry, we are overly enthusiastic to have Sharon Lawrence speak to our graduates in April. With our new Entertainment Arts major, music production minor and her ability to demonstrate that anything is possible with a solid education, she was a natural fit to be our commencement speaker,” stated Dr. Evan D. Duff, Interim President of North Carolina Wesleyan University.
While at UNC, Lawrence was active onstage with the college’s Playmakers Repertory Company. She is a proud founding, and prior leading actress, at the North Carolina Theatre, which is still going strong after 36 years at Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium. She is also the daughter of Tom Lawrence, former news reporter for WRAL News in Raleigh.
Lawrence currently appears on several different television series, including: Dynasty, Shameless, Criminal Minds, and can most recently be seen opposite Kirsten Dunst in Showtime’s On Becoming a God in Central Florida. She is set to star on Apple’s upcoming series Home Before Dark. Lawrence is also an accomplished Broadway stage actress and a 2012 Lunt-Fontanne Ten Chimneys Fellow, recently starring in “A Kid Like Jake” at the Pasadena Playhouse.
She previously chaired the Women In Film Foundation where she incubated and managed corporate partnerships with Netflix and the Dr. Scholl Foundation. Lawrence is still active in supporting women in the industry and currently serves as a Trustee of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.
“Celebrating the Wesleyan commencement is a meaningful opportunity for me not only as a native North Carolinian, but because my creative roots are here,” stated Lawrence. “My passion and career were nurtured by North Carolina schools and churches, by its outdoor dramas, local and professional theaters and its commitment to the performing arts. Your investment in education and the arts is an investment in your minds and hearts.”
On April 25, 2020, Sharon will address the Class of 2020 at NC Wesleyan University’s Spring Commencement, which will be held in front of the Braswell Administration Building.
FREE Concert: The United States Air Force Heritage of America Concert Band
Enjoy a concert given by the United States Air Force Heritage of America Concert Band at the Dunn Center – Minges Auditorium, February 18th, 2020, 7:00PM. The concert is FREE at open to the public.
For six decades, the USAF Heritage of America Concert Band has educated, inspired and entertained over 1.5 million people annually, by providing music for events that support Airmen and their families, honor our Nation’s veterans and build relationships of trust between the American people and their Air Force. The Concert Band is comprised of over 40 professional Airman-musicians who captivate audiences on regular tours throughout the East Coast with a variety of renditions of great orchestral classics, marches, Broadway hits, jazz standards, movie music and patriotic favorites.
Activated in 1941, The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band has a rich history of inspiring public patriotism and enhancing esprit de corps among all the US military service branches. These world-class airman-musicians are stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia. They travel throughout the Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, presenting over 300 events annually for the general public and in support of Airman morale and protocol events. Under the leadership of Major Rafael Toro-Quiñones, the USAF Heritage of America Band remains at the forefront of communicating Air Force core values and preserving and enriching America’s military and musical heritage into the 21st century.
For additional information about this free concert, please contact:or visit the band’s website: www.heritageofamericaband.af.mil
Contact Information:
MSgt Ryan Heseltine
Director of Operations
(757)225.3295
patrick.heseltine@us.af.mil
Wesleyan Holds Winter Commencement
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – On Saturday, December 14, North Carolina Wesleyan University held its winter commencement for approximately 225 graduates at the Rocky Mount Event Center.
This is the College’s 78th graduation, with the first occurring in 1960. There were 11 international graduates from three countries: El Salvador, Nepal and Argentina. This commencement also included the second cohort of Wesleyan’s new Master’s in Criminal Justice program.
“These degrees are provided by an institution which seeks not only to dispense knowledge and develop the habits for lifelong learning, but also expects its graduates to be responsible citizens, contributors to the common good, women and men who care about others,” stated Interim President Dr. Evan D. Duff.
The commencement address was given by Ms. Constance D. Williams, Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources, Americas, Sony Music Entertainment located in New York, NY. In this role, she leads Sony Music’s talent acquisition and talent management functions. Prior to her employment at Sony Music Entertainment, Ms. Williams was an adjunct professor at North Carolina Wesleyan University, credentialed to teach courses in Psychology, Business and Organizational Administration at all levels.
Williams addressed the graduates, stating “The world you’re graduating into is complex and is full of hope and optimism…you have to remain optimistic and you have to believe that you can impact change. That it’s up to you to give this world a better and brighter future.” She informed them “It is your duty to leave every place better than when you arrived. While you’re diploma will help pave the way for success, it is your commitment to impacting your own greatness that will translate into success. Don’t be a bystander.”
Wesleyan also honored the families of four young ladies with Honorary Posthumous Degrees: Robyne Barnes, Quedeshia “Donyell” Brown, Kandis McBride-Jones and Donesha “Dee” Scott. These NC Wesleyan freshmen passed away on March 21, 2016 in a car accident in front of the campus entrance.
Wesleyan will hold its spring commencement on Saturday, April 25.
Wesleyan to Host 14th Annual “Lighting of Wesleyan”
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University will host its 14th annual Lighting of Wesleyan event on Thursday, December 5 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at The Dunn Center for the Performing Arts.
This event is open to the community and will cover many festive activities including a live nativity performed by Englewood United Methodist Church, free hayrides by the Battling Bishops baseball team and a meet and greet with Santa. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Snowman and Wesleyan Puppy will all be on hand for hugs and photos. In addition, the NC Wesleyan women’s soccer and volleyball teams will be selling hot beverages and other concessions to benefit their programs. Guests can stroll through the College commons while enjoying a large collection of inflatables and Christmas lights.
Everyone is invited inside The Dunn Center to sing along with the Wesleyan Singers as they perform carols and other Christmas favorites on stage in the Garner Lobby. Then stick around for a free concert by the Northern Nash High School Band, followed by free photos with Santa after the show in the Garner Lobby.
Santa and Interim President Dr. Evan D. Duff, will arrive near the end of the evening aboard a Rocky Mount Fire Department fire truck. Come out and experience NC Wesleyan’s beautiful campus while kicking off the Christmas season!
NC Wesleyan Invites Businesses to Rock the Mount
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – Local businesses, churches and organizations can register today to meet NC Wesleyan University’s incoming Class of 2023 at the College’s eighth annual Rock the Mount event. This year’s event will be held on Tuesday, August 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Rock the Mount is an annual tradition for NC Wesleyan to welcome new students to campus and to the community. It takes place the day before the College’s first day of classes, serving as the official kick-off event for the new academic year. Local businesses and organizations are given the opportunity to come and celebrate the start of a new school year with food, music and free advertising.
Each year, hundreds of students flow through a Bishop Tunnel, formed by cheering returning students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. The tunnel leads them to the Southern Bank Green, located in the center of campus, where businesses and organizations are setup with booths displaying their products and services. Last year’s Rock the Mount event brought 75 vendors to campus, including companies such as BB&T, Bojangles’ and Sheetz.
NC Wesleyan aims to have even more vendors this year. “This event was established in order to help build relationships between the College and the greater Rocky Mount area,” stated Tammy Robinson, Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship at Wesleyan. “Students are able to discover many of the area businesses and places to worship, as well as have the chance to discover volunteer and part-time job opportunities.”
The event is free to vendors and the College provides a six-foot folding table, two chairs and complimentary lunch. Exhibitors are required to bring table covers, while power cords and small tents (no larger than 10’ x 10’) are encouraged. Vendors can begin setting up the day of the event on the Southern Bank Green at 9:30 a.m. and are asked to have setup completed by 10:30 a.m.
Display spaces are limited, so businesses and organizations are encouraged to sign up now. All who would like to participate must register online by Friday, August 2 at rockthemount2019.eventbrite.com. For additional questions, contact Tammy Robinson at trobinson@ncwu.edu or at 252.985.5581.
Wesleyan Hosting Over Twenty Summer Camps
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – NC Wesleyan’s campus is bustling with activity this summer as the College plans to host more than twenty summer camps, including academic and athletic camps. Every summer, Wesleyan opens its campus to a wide variety of camps, each ranging from 25 to 300 students.
Teach for America, returning for its eleventh year, kicked off the NC Wesleyan Summer Camps last week. The group significantly extended their stay this year beginning with a 14-day induction phase, followed by an additional 36-day stay later this month. The East Carolina Council Cub Scouts, supported by the United Way Tar River Region, and the Thompson NCWC Basketball Camp held half-day and full-day camps last week as well. UMC Youth Breakaway is expected to be the largest camp of the summer with 270 students in attendance, followed by the Ed Joyner Mission Camp to wrap up the month of June.
Wesleyan’s Connect: Youth Theology Institute (YTI) will host two, week-long camps for rising tenth through twelfth grade students for its fourth year in a row on NCWC’s campus. Connect exists to help high school students connect to Christ, Community and the Church. The program’s goal is to encourage, empower and equip students to live out their faith wherever God places them. YTI presents many opportunities for students to draw closer in their faith and their peers through daily devotionals, small group exercises and prayer. Following students’ week-long experience, students will be placed with a mentor who will help guide them throughout the rest of the year. Students who participate in YTI will be eligible to receive a scholarship opportunity from Wesleyan.
“Connect is a one of a kind experience! To see students from such diverse backgrounds and churches come together in the name of Christ is truly beautiful to witness each summer,” stated Mikah Brondyke, NCWC Director of Connect. “My hope is that students will continue to grow in God’s love for them and others. Love is what it’s all about!”
The Shelton Challenge will return to NC Wesleyan’s campus for another six-day residential leadership experience. The Shelton Challenge builds ninth through twelfth graders’ leadership skills through General Shelton’s five cornerstones of values-based leadership: honesty, integrity, compassion, diversity and social responsibility. Students will participate in team building activities, service projects and fun activities to get to know one another throughout their experience. A $1,000 scholarship will be offered to students who complete the Shelton Challenge and plan to enroll as a full-time undergraduate student at NC Wesleyan.
The Christian Cheerleaders of America (CCA) camp will bring approximately 150 cheerleaders to campus at the end of June. CCA is a sports ministry that aims to use cheerleading as a means to disciple young people for Jesus Christ. Campers will be taught fundamental cheerleading techniques along with how to maintain Christian standards in their daily lives.
“Each summer, Wesleyan welcomes approximately 2,500 campers who depend on us to provide detailed customer service and the concentrated attention of a home away from home atmosphere. It is our goal to provide a partnership that can be trusted year after year to provide excellence in every facet of every day for every camp. If you bring your camp to Wesleyan, we will take exceptional care of you.” stated Wesleyan Summer Camp Director, Kimla Brandt.
Returning in July for its twenty-fourth year at the College is Athens Drive Band, an award-winning, high school band from Raleigh. For a full list of activities and Wesleyan summer camps open to the public, visit the College’s main Facebook page.
An Evening with Brooke Simpson (from NBC The Voice)
Friday, December 14th, 2018 at 8pm
From recording her first song at the age of 2 years old, to being a part of NBC’s The Voice, Brooke Simpson’s life story is one with her music. She is a powerhouse vocalist who is passionate about songwriting and people. This past winter she received a four chair turn on The Voice, with Miley Cyrus as her coach, charting on the iTunes top 10 week after week, and ultimately getting third place on the show’s 13th season. A night not to be missed!
Purchase Tickets HERE
