Catalyze

Maggie Helmke ’23 and Roli Enonuya ’23, two graduating scholars, joined Catalyze to reflect on their four years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Maggie and Roli share with scholar host Stella Smolowitz ’26 about their favorite classes and memories, challenges they overcame, and advice for incoming and current scholars. The seniors also share their plans following graduation on May 14. At UNC–Chapel Hill, Maggie designed her own C-START (Carolina Students Taking Academic Responsibility through Teaching) class about poetry, while Roli was involved in the UNC Campus Y’s Helping Youth by Providing Enrichment (HYPE) program, where she served K-5 students at local community centers through social, cultural, and educational experiences. Following graduation, Maggie will take her Global Perspective summer through the Morehead-Cain, then pursue teaching. Roli will travel to Columbia and Brazil for her Global Perspective summer, then take a consulting role in Atlanta. (Both scholars’ final Summer Enrichment Program were delayed to this year due to the pandemic.) At the end of the episode, other members of the Morehead-Cain Class of 2023 share advice, kudos, and college memories. Thank you to Charlotte Dorn ’23, Amy Feng, McKenzie Martin ’23, and Kartik Tyagi ’23 for sharing your story! Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Janel Monroe ’10, is entitled, “Finding Freedom Through Fertility.” Janel is the strategy senior manager for Accenture. You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel. Janel Monroe ’10 is an inclusion, diversity, and equity practitioner who currently works as a strategy senior manager at Accenture. Prior to joining Accenture, she led inclusion and diversity at Campbell Soup Company and spent seven years in strategy consulting, focusing on talent and human potential. Janel resides in Philadelphia but enjoys traveling to warm and tropical locations, as well as internationally. Janel double majored in communication studies and cultural studies at Carolina. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

For Earth Day, we’re releasing a three-part miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina. Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team traveled to Tryon (Polk County) to understand more about the food we consume and those who produce it. The two co-hosts spoke with representatives of a farmer’s market, the founder of a creamer, and Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms. The alumna moved back to her hometown to take over the family business after a career in the food industry. On this episode, Carolyn shares how she and her husband, Tracy, have found a niche through their specialization in seasoning salts and simple syrups, as well as the importance of stewarding native species while exploring new flavors. She also shares advice for how anyone can support local agriculture. After graduating from Carolina with a bachelor’s in English, Carolyn worked with Cargill Incorporated in Food Sales. The alumna earned a master’s in food science from North Carolina State University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce from Lincoln University in New Zealand. She worked as a food scientist at Sealed Air Corporation before building Tryon Mountain Farms. Special thanks The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support! Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

For Earth Day, we’re releasing a three-part miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina. Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team traveled to Tryon (Polk County) to understand more about the food we consume and those who produce it. The two co-hosts spoke with representatives of a farmer’s market, the founder of a creamer, and Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms. The alumna moved back to her hometown to take over the family business after a career in the food industry. In this audio tour, Elias and Stella describe the sights and sounds of the farm while feeding bananas to Carolyn’s goats. Up next: On Carolyn’s episode, she shares how she and her husband, Tracy, have found a niche through their specialization in seasoning salts and simple syrups, as well as the importance of stewarding native species while exploring new flavors. She also shares advice for how anyone can support local agriculture. After graduating from Carolina with a bachelor’s in English, Carolyn worked with Cargill Incorporated in Food Sales. The alumna earned a master’s in food science from North Carolina State University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce from Lincoln University in New Zealand. She worked as a food scientist at Sealed Air Corporation before building Tryon Mountain Farms. Special thanks The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support! Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

For Earth Day, we’re releasing a three-part miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina. Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team traveled to Tryon (Polk County) to understand more about the food we consume and those who produce it. The two co-hosts spoke with representatives of a farmer’s market, the founder of a creamer, and Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms. In the episode, Elias and Stella chat with Jen Perkins, the owner of Looking Glass Creamery (Columbus County). Jen shares about why visitors are one of the most important parts of her business model, as well as her close-knit relationships with Carolyn and other farmers in the area. This interview took place at the creamery after Jen gave a tour of the cheese cellars. Special thanks The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support! Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

For Earth Day, we’re releasing a three-part miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina. Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team traveled to Tryon (Polk County) to understand more about the food we consume and those who produce it. The two co-hosts spoke with representatives of a farmer’s market, the founder of a creamer, and Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms. In this episode, Elias and Stella sit down with Maranda Williams and Jessica Mullen of Travelers Rest Farmers Market, the executive director and director of marketing and development, respectively. Special thanks The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support! Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

For Earth Day, we’re releasing a three-part miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina. Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team traveled to Tryon (Polk County) to understand more about the food we consume and those who produce it. The two co-hosts spoke with representatives of a farmer’s market, the founder of a creamer, and Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms. For the first episode, Elias and Stella sat down with Maranda Williams and Jessica Mullen of Travelers Rest Farmers Market. That episode drops Wednesday, April 19, on all podcast apps. Special thanks The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support! Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Josh Stein, attorney general of North Carolina, spoke with the Scholar Media Team’s Cate Miller ’25 and Content Manager Sarah O’Carroll before his Food for Thought talk this spring. Stein shares about his career path to serving as attorney general, his views on academic freedom and college access, and his plans to run for state governor. Food for Thought is a breakfast and conversation series held on Friday mornings at the Foundation. You can learn more about the initiative and RSVP for upcoming events on the Morehead-Cain Network. Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Naimul Huq ’08, is entitled, “The Un-blockable Chain.” Naimul is the senior vice president of operations at VaynerNFT, a Web3 consultancy. You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel. More about Naimul Naimul Huq ’08 is the SVP and head of operations for Vayner3, a Web3 consultancy. Founded by entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk in 2021, Vayner3 guides enterprises, blockchain startups, and nonprofits into the next era of human interaction through NFTs, cryptocurrencies, mixed-reality experiences, and the use of decentralized protocols. Prior to his metaverse obsession, Naimul built the Data and Analytics practice at Precision Strategies, working alongside President Obama’s former campaign managers on progressive political campaigns and international public affairs. In his free time, he was the CMO of RentCity, the first apartment-level review site in NYC. Before that, he led Analytics and Planning for Lippe Taylor Group, an award-winning media and advertising firm specializing in consumer brands. He honed his research and marketing interests over many years with Real Chemistry—a global PR agency focused on healthcare. After leaving Carolina pre-med with a bachelor’s in English, Naimul worked in Humana’s Innovation Center and realized the world-changing potential of Web 2.0 through the advent of social media. Naimul was raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where he waited for faster internet. You’ll find him online at naimul.com. Naimul lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Neha, a pediatrician and so much more. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Cindy Parlow Cone, president of U.S. Soccer, spoke with the Scholar Media Team’s Laurelle Maubert ’25 and Content Manager Sarah O’Carroll before her Food for Thought talk this spring. On this episode, Cone shares about historic equal pay agreements she led as president, her goals for the federation, and advice for female college athletes. Cone is the first female president of U.S. Soccer and the first former player of a senior U.S. National Team to serve in the role. She is also the youngest player to win an Olympic gold medal and a Women’s World Cup title. In May 2022, U.S. Soccer, the United States Women’s National Team Players Association, and the United States National Soccer Team Players Association agreed on collective bargaining agreements to achieve equal pay for women soccer players. A UNC–Chapel Hill alumna, Cone was a four-time All-American for the Tar Heels. She later served as assistant coach at Carolina, leading the women’s team to four NCAA titles. Food for Thought is a breakfast and conversation series held on Friday mornings at the Foundation. You can learn more about the initiative and RSVP for upcoming events on the Morehead-Cain Network. Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Humanitarian Edward Ndopu joined Catalyze co-hosts Sarah O’Carroll and Elias Guedira ’26 during his visit to the Morehead-Cain Foundation this spring. Ndopu represents accessibility and inclusion as one of the 17 official UN Advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals. Ndopu shares about his experiences becoming the first disabled Black man to receive a master’s degree from Oxford University, his career in activism for intersectional disability justice, and advice for leaders in higher education to envision “radical inclusion” on college campuses. Ndopu also previews his upcoming memoir, Drinking Dom Perignon Through a Straw, and talks about what it would be like to be the first disabled person to travel to space. Edward delivered a Food for Thought talk on January 27 to an audience of Morehead-Cain Scholars and students at UNC–Chapel Hill. The breakfast and conversation series is held on Fridays at the Foundation this semester. Learn more and RSVP for upcoming events on the Morehead-Cain Network. Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Emily Vasquez ’06, is entitled, “The Social Life.” Emily is a Bridge to the Faculty Fellow in Sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The alumna is also an ethnographer of science, medicine, and public health. You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel. Emily is also a previous guest on the Catalyze podcast: “How a ‘national genome’ can reinforce social inequality, with Emily Vasquez ’06, ethnographer of science, medicine, and public health.” (November 15, 2022) More about Emily Emily Vasquez ’06 is a Bridge to the Faculty Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she teaches courses on the sociology of health and medicine and on race and ethnicity in scientific and medical practice. Her research examines how social inequalities are entangled with and reinforced through the production of medical knowledge and technologies. She has published on these issues in journals, including Engaging Science, Technology, and Society, American Anthropologist, Perspectives on Science, and Medicine, Anthropology, Theory and led an edited volume published by Routledge in 2020 entitled Social Inequities and Contemporary Struggles for Collective Health in Latin America. Her current book project draws on 20 months of ethnographic research based in Mexico City examining the fraught politics of diabetes prevention in Mexico, where diabetes has been declared a National Sanitary Emergency. She worked previously in HIV-prevention in Paraguay with a LGBTQ+ grass-roots organization supported by the Global Fund and served for seven years as managing editor of the journal Global Public Health. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Steven Aldrich ’91, a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with a wealth of experience in growing successful companies, joined Catalyze during a visit to UNC–Chapel Hill this spring. Steven shares with scholar co-hosts Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 about his experiences starting GoDaddy’s California offices and taking the company public as chief product officer; selling an online insurance marketplace he co-founded to Intuit; and his current role as chair of the Oakland Roots Sports Club, a community-focused pro soccer team in Oakland, California. The alumnus also serves on the Boards of Blucora, Xero, and Ruby Receptionists. Steven earned a bachelor’s in physics from Carolina, and an MBA from Stanford as an Arjay Miller Scholar. As a Morehead-Cain Scholar, the alumnus was co-captain of the fencing team. Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Antonio McBroom ’08, is entitled, “Pardon My Passion.” Antonio is a franchise developer at Ben & Jerry’s. You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel. More about Antonio Antonio McBroom ’08 is the franchise developer of Ben & Jerry’s with multi-unit double-digit retail and business locations throughout the Southeast and Midwest. Antonio grew up in rural North Carolina and began his journey with Ben & Jerry’s while he was a scholar at Carolina, “scooping his way up” from minimum-wage scooper to shift leader to shop manager. In 2008, he seized the opportunity to purchase the Chapel Hill shop, becoming the youngest franchisee in the company’s history. Antonio and his “Team Primo” have propelled and innovated the off-premise catering category by double-digit sales growth annually. While becoming a business owner, Antonio taught mathematics through the Teach For America program in North Carolina, as well as internationally with World Teach in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. His passion for education continues through the Myron Headen Scholarship Program, founded in honor of his mother. As a partner with the Vickers Bennett Group, Antonio is the lead curator and developer for multiple 100+ acre land assemblages. He plays an instrumental role in the Vickers Village mixed-use development project, by creating innovative affordable housing solutions with a community of 180+ homes, dozens of condos, and a commercial retail village center. Antonio’s strength of character makes him a standout beyond his business endeavors, including his outstanding volunteerism in the communities in which he does business. In addition to serving others, he is involved with “we are” (working to extend anti-racist education) for social justice reform. Since 2020, Antonio has served as a member of the board of the Chatham Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Antonio’s professional and civic leadership has earned him many accolades; most notable are: the 2018 Black Enterprise Franchisee of the Year Award, the 2021 UNC Black Alumni’s Harvey E. Beech Outstanding Alumni Award, and the prestigious Ben & Jerry’s “Big O” 2021 Operator of the Year Award. Antonio holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and African American Studies from the University of North Carolina. He currently resides in North Carolina with his wife, Katie, and their two children. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Former congressman David Price ’61 joined Catalyze with scholar co-hosts Benny Klein ’24 and Elias Guedira ’26 in December 2022 during the politician’s final month in office. Price, who retired this January, represented North Carolina’s fourth district, including Orange County, Chapel Hill. The alumnus visited the Foundation to share about his lifetime career of public service and his over three decades serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. Price also spoke about his involvement as a scholar in the civil rights movement at UNC–Chapel Hill, some of his proudest political accomplishments, and his post-retirement plans. Price released the fourth edition of his book, The Congressional Experience, in 2020. He revised the book to cover the Obama and Trump administrations. After receiving his bachelor’s degree at Carolina, he pursued graduate studies at Yale University to earn a theology degree (1964) and a PhD in political science (1969). Price is a professor of political science at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Debbie Weston Harden ’79, is entitled, “Can I Do It All?” You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel. Debbie is a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson. The alumna was a member of the first class of women scholars. More about Debbie Debbie Weston Harden ’79 is a member of the first class of female scholars, who were dubbed the “Dirty Dozen.” As a scholar, she was one of the first to participate in five summer programs, which led her to a career in law. As a partner based in the Charlotte office of Womble Bond Dickinson, Debbie has practiced law for more than three decades, focusing on complex commercial litigation and counseling of boards of directors and other fiduciaries. She is a Chambers USA–ranked commercial litigator who has also been selected for inclusion by Woodward-White Inc. in five industry/practice areas in The Best Lawyers in America recognitions. Debbie and her husband, Mark (UNC Class of ’77; MBA ’81), have three children, all of whom have completed their graduate education and begun their “adult” lives. While their children were younger, both Mark and Debbie’s community service focused on the family’s interests and activities. Debbie served on the Uptown YMCA’s Board of Directors, as a former chair, and later served on the Board of the Children’s Theater of Charlotte/ImaginOn and the Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust. Most recently, as an empty nester, Debbie has pursued her passion for quality and affordable family housing, serving six years on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region. During her spare time, Debbie enjoys reading, travelling with her family, spending time in the North Carolina mountains, and playing golf with Mark. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Morehead-Cain president, Chris Bradford, joined Catalyze with scholar host, Elias Guedira ’26, to share about the state of the Program after his first year and a half in the role. The president talks about the progress the Morehead-Cain community made in 2022 and what opportunities he sees for the Program in 2023 and beyond. You can learn more about the Program by viewing the online 2021–2022 Year in Review. Chris joined the Morehead-Cain Foundation in the summer of 2021 after 17 years with African Leadership Academy (ALA), an educational institution based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Music credits The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

A night under the stars in the Himalayas. A lion hunt from a safari van in Africa. A dune climb in Morocco. Aayas Joshi ’26 (the first Morehead-Cain Scholar from Nepal), Olu Kopano ’26, and scholar host Elias Guedira ’26 share about their global experiences on the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year. At the end of the episode, we also hear from current gap year scholars Abbey Beebe ’27 about swimming in bioluminescent waters in the Caribbean Sea and Chandler Beals ’27 from an airport in Las Vegas between trips. Morehead-Cain recipients are invited to consider taking a funded gap year between graduating high school and coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Listen to the first gap year episode from last year: Gap year dispatch with Emile Charles ’24 (and ft. Taylor Shinal ’25, Mark Finamore ’25, Asher Wexler ’25, and Noah Gottlieb ’25). Emile interned at a children’s hospital in Cape Town, South Africa; visited his father’s Caribbean home in St. George’s, Grenada; worked on a global public health collaboration between the Carolina and the Malawi Ministry of Health; and organized Black Lives Matter protests in Chapel Hill.

To hear more from Elias about the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year, catch his Catalyze podcast to be released on Tuesday, November 13, 2022, on all podcast apps. A night under the stars in the Himalayas. A lion hunt from a safari van in Africa. A sand dune climb in Morocco. Aayas Joshi ’26, Olu Kopano ’26, and scholar host Elias Guedira ’26 will share about their global experiences on the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year. At the end of the episode, we’ll also hear from current gap year scholars Abbey Beebe ’27 about swimming in bioluminescent waters in the Caribbean Sea and Chandler Beals ’27 from an airport in Las Vegas between trips. Morehead-Cain recipients are invited to consider taking a funding gap year between graduating high school and coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

To hear more from Aayas about the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year, catch his Catalyze podcast to be released on Tuesday, November 13, 2022, on all podcast apps. A night under the stars in the Himalayas. A lion hunt from a safari van in Africa. A sand dune climb in Morocco. Aayas Joshi ’26, Olu Kopano ’26, and scholar host Elias Guedira ’26 will share about their global experiences on the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year. At the end of the episode, we’ll also hear from current gap year scholars Abbey Beebe ’27 about swimming in bioluminescent waters in the Caribbean Sea and Chandler Beals ’27 from an airport in Las Vegas between trips. Morehead-Cain recipients are invited to consider taking a funding gap year between graduating high school and coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.