Despite the August heat, incoming juniors at NCSSM-Durham found the energy to smile. (photo: Brian Faircloth)
A new academic year is now underway at NCSSM for Residential and Online students from throughout North Carolina.
As usual, the first to arrive on campus for orientation activities were students from the NCSSM Online program, who came to NCSSM- Durham the first Friday in August for a single-day Online Kickoff event to meet their teachers, become acquainted with their classmates, and familiarize (or refamiliarise, for returning seniors) themselves with the school’s facilities. The day began with an introduction from Todd Roberts, NCSSM’s Chancellor, and continued with remarks from Online alumni and a Q&A panel with Online alumni and seniors. An afternoon social and picnic beneath the oaks on Bryan Lawn wrapped up the day.
Alex Morgan is a first-year NCSSM Online student. He didn’t have to travel far for the Kickoff; his home school of Kestrel Heights Charter School is just minutes away across town. Alex’s academic advisors at Kestrel realized he may soon max out his home school’s course catalog, so they recommended he consider applying to NCSSM’s Residential program.
But Alex wanted to stay with his family, so he applied to and enrolled in the Online program.
“I didn’t really know what type of classes that were offered,” Alex said. “I thought maybe it was just advanced math or advanced science, but there’s a wider breadth of classes than I had imagined would be offered.”
With Online students squared away, NCSSM transitioned the following weekend to welcoming its new and returning Residential students to Durham and Morganton. Incoming juniors provided the most energy as they arrived en masse on their respective campuses on Friday, Aug. 14, to begin their NCSSM adventure.
Waiting to assist them on each campus were dozens of employee volunteers and senior leaders who had quietly arrived on campus during the week to lay the groundwork for the start of the year.
Like the anticipation of NCSSM’s incoming students, the heat index soared as caravans of NCSSM’s newest constituents entered NCSSM campuses in Durham and Morganton. As soon as car doors and hatches swung open, the NCSSM seniors, faculty and staff awaiting them swept up the newest students’ belongings and whisked them off to dorm rooms throughout campus.
And there were a lot of belongings. Lamps, chairs, refrigerators boxed and unboxed, and all sorts of bags and containers (a significant number of pink duffel bags stood out in Durham while large, blue, rolling bins were the dominant item in Morganton) lined heat-soaked sidewalks before finding their way to dorm hallways already crowded with belongings. For hours afterward, students and their families bumped elbows in the residence halls as everyone worked together to get the newest Unicorns and Dragons ready for dorm life at NCSSM. Tight quarters for sure, but perhaps no better way to become acquainted with folks who will be part of each other’s lives for the next two years.
Tessa Kantrowitz is a junior at NCSSM-Morganton. She came to NCSSM from Asheville, where she went to Franklin School of Innovation. Looking ahead, Tessa hopes to widen her social circle and explore her interests in biology. She knows the field is broad, and that the breadth of NCSSM’s curriculum will allow her to explore a wide range of options for further study.
“I’m looking forward to making friends that are driven and have a good work ethic and have the same interests and hobbies that I do, and I want to see how I can narrow biology down to a specific field.”
Tayo Jegede, from Cannon School in Charlotte, was one of the new students getting sorted out in Durham. Leaving his friends behind was saddening, but he wasn’t nervous about moving into a new home for the academic year. Prior to applying for admission, Tayo had attended a week-long summer residential camp at NCSSM. The experience left him wanting a larger slice of the NCSSM pie.
“When I was here in the summer, I saw how dedicated the students are and how everyone that works here is really dedicated, and I just wanted to be a part of that for longer than just one week,” he said.
Sunday afternoon saw the last of NCSSM’s students arrive in Durham and Morganton. Senior move-in was far more casual, though the thick heat and piles of belongings that dominated junior move-in remained. Students arrived with their families throughout the afternoon, confidently navigating campus and reuniting with old friends as they returned to familiar residential halls that already held a year’s worth of memories.
Schlepping bags and boxes with her family in Durham was Melissa Nigah, from Roanoke Rapids High School. Though the summer break was a much-needed respite from the rigors of study, Melissa returned to campus eager to get started on her senior year at NCSSM.
“I was actually really excited to come back and I wanted to come back even earlier than Sunday,” she said. “When I walked in, my friends were the first people I saw. It was really great. I hope to meet even more people than I’ve already met, and finish high school on a good note.”
