NCWC

N.C. Wesleyan College won first place in the 2020 Exercise is Medicine On Campus Mascot Challenge video contest.

As N.C. Wesleyan College approaches its 65th year in October, there are a lot of great accomplishments to reflect on.

The college was officially chartered by the State of North Carolina on Oct. 25, 1956. The first yearbook, North Carolina Wesleyan, was published in 1962 with a very moving dedication to the city of Rocky Mount.

“The students of North Carolina Wesleyan College dedicate this, the first annual to you — the citizens of Rocky Mount. In the words of Bishop Paul N. Garber, you have dreamed the dreams and seen the visions. Now, we trust, you are beginning to see the material substance of those dreams. As our campus develops into a living reality, we, the students, offer our gratitude for the confidence in us which you have shown. Your belief in democracy and tolerance extended to everyone has become a goal for us to uphold while we organize and function in our different capacities. The tradition of persevering in the face of seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and always retaining faith in the future and honest effort has been a stimulus for the students and faculty of our college to exert themselves to their fullest to fulfill your dream and vision.”

Almost sixty-five years later, those sentiments still hold true. N.C. Wesleyan College will celebrate its 65th year with its annual Founders’ Day. The 65th Founding Anniversary Celebration will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 in Minges Auditorium of The Dunn Center. Dr. A. Hope Williams, president of North Carolina Independent Colleges and

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Universities, will be the featured speaker. The public is invited to attend.

Over the past year, there have been many exciting developments happening at N.C. Wesleyan. One of which is the development of an agreement with the ActOne Group, a global workforce solutions leader based in California with operations in North Carolina, to provide extensive career development services for current students and alumni. Janice Bryant Howroyd, founder and chief executive officer of the ActOne Group, is a native of Tarboro and N.C. Wesleyan board member.

At no cost to the college, ActOne’s team of professionals will work alongside N.C. Wesleyan’s career services department to enhance internships, career development, and job placement for Wesleyan students and graduates. The college will allocate office space to the ActOne team so they can fully connect with staff and provide students with hands-on career guidance and advice.

This partnership will provide students with access to a fully-dedicated team of staffing professionals, career counselors, talent advisors and trainers on campus. In addition, ActOne will work with area organizations to meet their talent acquisition goals.

To help enhance personal and professional development, ActOne will provide N.C. Wesleyan students with college-to-career transition classes, career preparation, career building workshops and global awareness opportunities. In addition, ActOne will provide access to an online library of training courses, skill assessments, and tutorials that will benefit all students, regardless of their career path.

Students will work with the ActOne team of talent advisors and counselors to develop leadership skills and gain insight into a variety of professions. As an added benefit to N.C. Wesleyan students, ActOne will provide two to four internships per year, allowing students to gain experience in customer service, recruiting, front office systems and database management.

In order to assist business professionals who are interested in developing specific skills to improve their resume, increasing their income, transitioning to a new industry or obtaining a promotion, the College has created three new professional development certificate programs. The certificate courses — Human Resource Management, Executive Leadership and Healthcare Administration — are 100 percent online with multiple start dates. Students can finish in as little as four to

N.C. Wesleyan College was chartered by the State of North Carolina on Oct. 25, 1956.

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six months and these certificates can count toward a degree.

Capitalizing on the new infrastructure on campus, N.C. Wesleyan hosted the first, second and third rounds of the 2021 NCAA DIII men's and women's national championship. The championship was held in the newly minted Indoor Sports and Education Facility (ISEF) and the Slick Family Tennis Center at the Vernon T. Bradley Jr. Tennis Complex.

The Bishop men and women had recently captured the 2021 USA South Championship in the same venue, with the men earning their 12th straight title and the women earning their third straight championship. The men’s and women’s tennis teams completed historic seasons with the men ranked 9th and women ranked 39th nationally.

The NCAA tournament regionals came to N.C. Wesleyan for the first time in college history, due in large part to the addition of the ISEF to the tennis complex. The new facility features four indoor tennis courts in addition to a bevy of additional features including squash courts, sports performance facilities, exercise science classrooms and space for expansion. The entire facility now features the availability of 16 total courts, which was a key component of landing the tournament.

In addition, the new Indoor Sports & Education Facility was chosen this past June by Broadwell Air Domes to be featured with them in a national television show, “World’s Greatest.” Broadwell Air Domes, the engineering and production company of N.C. Wesleyan’s dome, was selected and able to pick a recent project to be included in the episode. On June 16, Cam Cameron, chief sales officer and CEO, alongside colleague and brother, Austin Cameron, vice president for chief global strategy, flew to North Carolina for the filming. The episode is set to air this coming fall.

Throughout its history, N.C. Wesleyan College has seen substantial growth. The college continues to build upon its academic offerings, infrastructure and community relations. Now with 32 majors, 31 minors, two graduate programs, three certificate programs and 10 satellite locations, N.C. Wesleyan provides students with opportunities to make meaningful connections and learn through innovative teaching approaches. The distinctive Wesleyan experience equips graduates to make a positive impact on the world.

N.C. Wesleyan College hosted the first three rounds of the 2021 NCAA DIII men's and women's national championships in the new Vernon T. Bradley Jr. Tennis Complex.

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