BELIEVING THEY BELONG

Coastal ROOTS initiative jump-starts new Seahawks’ college experience

By Krissy Vick

Aniya Harvey, a UNCW freshman from a rural high school in Dudley, NC, was motivated to attend college to set an example for her four siblings. The first in her family to attend college, Harvey said she felt a sense of obligation to her family, despite her fears and financial barriers.

"This program has helped me see and get a taste of what the next four years will be like while also getting a jumpstart on my classes and GPA. I was concerned about the leap from high school to college, but I wanted to make my family proud and show my brother, who has a disability, that he can do whatever he puts his mind to,” Harvey said.

UNCW helped Harvey and a handful of other new freshmen embark on their college journey through the Coastal ROOTS (Restoring Our Opportunities Toward Success) initiative, a new pilot program established in 2022 to support UNCW students with wraparound services to help them be successful.

“It is important that each ROOTS scholar begins to feel like a Seahawk,” said College of Health and Human Services Assistant Dean for Student Success and Coastal ROOTS Institute program coordinator Sheri Shaw. “ROOTS is the intentional jump-start to UNCW and the next phase of their education. It’s vital that they understand the importance of relationships and connections as well as the resources available to them for identity development and for personal and academic success.”

Coastal ROOTS’ mission is to enhance the new student experience by fostering a sense of campus and cultural belonging, promoting student engagement, providing educational enrichment, and encouraging personal empowerment to ensure student success at UNCW and beyond.

Coastal ROOTS supports incoming first-year students from the following backgrounds: first-generation students, students from rural counties, students who identify in a marginalized group (BIPOC), students who are Pell Grant eligible, student-athletes and out-of-state students.

Currently, five staff members from the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, the College of Health and Human Services Student Success Center, Admissions, Financial Aid and the University Learning Center oversee Coastal ROOTS; however, the program is widely supported by partners in nearly every facet of campus including the Chancellor’s senior cabinet, Housing and Residence Life, Transition Programs and the Division for University Advancement.

The program has two phases: Summer Enrichment Experience Developing Scholars (SEEDS) and Students Headed Into New Endeavors (SHINE). SEEDS begins the summer before freshman year, and SHINE begins in the fall of freshman year and continues throughout the college experience. Shaw, a UNCW and Clocktower Society member, is hopeful SHINE can fold into current campus initiatives to help further integrate campus resources and opportunities such as learning communities, research, scholarships and more.

The first cohort of students, fondly nicknamed “The Talented 12” by program leaders, participated in the four-week SEEDS summer session this past July to prepare for their freshman year. During the jam-packed month, the students lived in a residence hall, completed two classes – earning six required academic credits in Math 111 and English 101 – participated in study halls twice a day and learned about resources on campus such as the University Learning Center, the Career Center and Randall Library.

Program themes include financial literacy, career preparedness and networking, cultural awareness, social and community engagement, academic excellence, critical thinking, writing and study skills, time management and mindfulness, and research and scholarship.

“It’s critical that students believe in themselves,” explained Dr. Donyell Roseboro, UNCW chief diversity officer. “We want to build their confidence so they feel strong enough and talented enough to believe they belong here and then can mentor someone else. Once they learn these skills, they have a responsibility to help someone else, and they will feel equipped and have the leadership skills to do it.”

Joandy Martinez-Reyes received the email to apply for Coastal ROOTS in May, and he knew right away he wanted to participate.

The only thing that came to my mind was opportunity,” Martinez-Reyes said. “To have the chance to get ahead in classes, network, grow and progress as a student—to me, it is honestly just amazing.

Martinez-Reyes attended a small high school in Columbus County, where he developed a passion for being a leader and role model. He plans to become involved in UNCW’s Centro Hispano and aspires to become student body president.

“Coastal ROOTS set a standard of how I need to manage my time. When I started freshman year, I felt 10 times more comfortable that I could make it work.” --Ethan Newsome

The SEEDS summer session also included enrichment opportunities from community partners like Live Oak Bank and the YWCA. Live Oak Bank donated laptop computers to the program and met with students weekly about financial literacy, budgeting, and nurturing their talents and ideas for small businesses. The YWCA provided a case study that the students collaborated on to gain real-world experiences with problem solving, resume building and work experience.

For Ethan Newsome, a student-athlete and member of the UNCW Men’s Soccer Team, Coastal ROOTS appealed to him because he needed to build better habits and learn time management before embarking on his freshman year.

“I did not do well with COVID,” explained Newsome, who explained that poor decision making, lack of motivation and difficulty navigating online learning all contributed to poor habits. “Coastal ROOTS set me on better footing for how to manage my time juggling athletic practices and academics. I feel ahead of the game by knowing campus resources I can utilize, professors and mentors like Ms. Sheri that I can talk to, and I already have friends within the group.”

When Newsome aced his first two math quizzes during the summer session, he said it built his confidence and calmed his doubts about being college-ready.

“I felt confident that I wouldn’t start school as an average freshman feeling lost or scared or anxious,” Newsome said. “Coastal ROOTS has given me the tools to be successful.”