Online students gathered on the lawn receive instructions on how to play some icebreaker games. (photo: Brian Faircloth)
Nothing made the impending end of summer break more obvious than the activity on the Durham campus this past Friday when around 150 mostly new NCSSM Online students from throughout the state participated in orientation. Their presence signaled the unofficial beginning of activities for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Students stayed busy moving through locations on campus where they met their teachers and gained additional insight into the expectations of the program. Throughout, they had opportunities to engage with each other in icebreaker activities designed to spark new friendships.
Two past members of the NCSSM Online program shared with new and returning Onliners insight into making the most of the unique opportunity of taking virtual honors classes from NCSSM to supplement the curriculum at each student’s home high school, an option many of the students consider the best of both worlds. In a prerecorded address, Drew Marshburn ’15 encouraged students gathered in the auditorium to explore their options.
“Start with guesses before goals,” he advised. “This is a very low-stakes time for you to explore what you’re interested in, so don’t get too fixated on how it’s going to look on your [college] application …. There’s a lot of free samples at this point in your life. Make sure you keep taking them.”
Thierry Moss ’25 reminded students to not forget about all that is available to them beyond the classroom, including during Online Weekends that bring the students back together on campus. “I promise,” Moss said, “that while academics are crucial . . . it is extremely likely that, if done right, your favorite moments from NCSSM and the things that you remember the most will be from interacting with the [school and Online] community.”
