Student U History

In February of 2007, Anna submitted her application to participate in a new academic

enrichment program called Student U. As this first application was received, the

manila envelope symbolized the realization of a Durham dream that the community had been working towards for eighteen months.

That June, Anna and her forty-nine classmates and their families arrived on

campus. Student U made a commitment to support, challenge, and love these students as they strived to reach their full potential.

These families made a commitment to support, challenge, and love this

organization as we strived to reach our full potential. A true community was formed,

built by Durham, for Durham, and the Student U journey began.

Student U History

Two years earlier, in 2005, a group of 14 community leaders convened at the home of

Tony and Teddie Brown. School Board members, representatives from University of

North Carolina, North Carolina Central University, and Duke University, and Durham

Academy administrators sat at a table and dreamt of a new way to empower Durham

Public School students to own their education.

Mary Williams, Amanda Dorsey, and Dan Kimberg, three college students, shared their commitment to working with the community to build a sustainable and impactful organization.

Guided by what they learned from Tony Brown’s Social Entrepreneurship class and

their work in education both locally and abroad, the three students facilitated a

conversation about dreams, brilliance, and the spread of joy.

Student U History

Under the leadership of Bela Kussin and this fourteen person Start-Up Advisory

Committee, a program began to form. With core values as its foundation and a crazy

dream as its objective, Student U was created.

In November of 2013, Anna received a letter packaged in a similar thick manila envelope

as the one she submitted to Student U years earlier. Anna was accepted into

Hampton University, the first Student U senior to receive college admission.

Today, Anna and her classmates walk across the stage at the Carolina Theatre

and share with the world where they will be going to college.

Student U History

From 2005 until now, countless people and partners have collaborated to create the

Student U community. Today, as we celebrate our students and their families, we also celebrate our organization’s history, a

history that reminds us that when a community joins together around a common

goal, crazy dreams come true.

Student U’s Original Start-up Advisory Committee

Beth Anderson, Lynn Blanchard, Tony Brown, Heidi Carter, Anthony L. Clay, Chena

Flood, Leslie Holdsworth, Bela Kussin, David Malone, Eric Mlyn, Omega Curtis Parker, Jan Riggsbee, Steve Schewel,

Michael Ulku-Steiner

Taleya Atwater- Johnson & Wales University

Devin Autry- University of North Carolina Charlotte

Casey Barr-Rios- North Carolina Central University

Logan Benton- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Malik Brantley- Winston-Salem State University

Angelica Cohen- University of North Carolina Charlotte

Rey Cruz- Wake Technical Community College

Francis De La Cruz- Durham Technical Community Center

Dante Evans- University of Maryland College Park

Litehsha Garrett- University of North Carolina Greensboro

Raheim Gatling- Durham Technical Community College

Cameron Heath- Undecided

Jayda Henry- University of North Carolina Greensboro

Dyonna Hooper- Johnson C. Smith University

Kameron Johnson- Wingate University

Malcolm Jones- North Carolina A&T

Ana Krah- Appalachian State University

Christopher Lindsay- University of North Carolina Charlotte

Jared Lloyd-Robinson- Fayetteville State University

Jared Lopez- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Ruvimbo Makonyonga- University of North Carolina

Greensboro

Janquella Mayes- Barry University

Alyzia McAlmon- East Carolina University

Diamond McQueen- Norfolk State University

Steneshia Meadows- North Carolina Central University

Daniel Odeh- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Exeria Poole- University of North Carolina Pembroke

Natalie Rivera- North Carolina Central University

Genessa Rogers- Shaw University

Alexis Rose- Wake Technical Community College

Tabitha Ruffin- Durham Technical Community College

LaTosha Ruffin- University of North Carolina Pembroke

Dashea Smith- Howard University

Tyler Spencer- Durham Technical Community College

Bryanna Staton- North Carolina A&T

Armani Thaxton- Durham Technical Community

Robert Traynham- Averett University

Karl Von Zabern- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Joy Wright- North Carolina A&T

Congratulations!

The College Promise

As our first class of students prepare to enroll in

the colleges of their choice this fall, we are

excited to partner with our students and their

families on the next phase of their journey. The

College Promise is not just a program, it is a

commitment.

It is a commitment from Student U that this

community will continue to support students

through college and it is a commitment from

students that they will take advantage of the

opportunity they have worked so hard to earn.

Student U’s College Promise program will

support the successful matriculation fo all

Student U college students.

The College PromiseCampus Connect

Our students will receive resource guides for the

post-secondary institutions they are attending in

the fall. These guides will include college

retention services available on the campuses

our students receive acceptance, as well as the

people leading those programs

U-Connect

Each Student U student will be matched with a

Student U Alumni teacher. With regular

meetings, students will gain the individualized

support they need to ensure a smooth transition

to college.

Parent University

Families of our college students will learn from

experts and one another about the road ahead

for their students and the ways they can support

their children through college

The College PromiseStudent U will also coordinate the following

events for our college students:

Pre-College Retreat and December Workshops

Workshops will focus on normalizing the experiences our students encounter in their first

year of college

College Check-Ins

Student U will have check-ins with students directly at the following points during their first

year: the end of the first week and first month of school, before midterms and final exams,

Christmas and Spring breaks. All students will have a one-on-one visit with a staff member at

their college during the first semester.

We are excited about supporting our students through college. As our newest program, we look

forward to continuing to develop The College Promise to ensure that it aligns with the

experiences of our students to and through college.

Made For Durham, By Durham

College Promise SponsorsBurt’s Bees

Red Hat

Fox 50

American Tobacco Campus

Durham Bulls

First Insurance Services

Steve Toler, LLC

Real Estate Associates, Inc.

Sustaining PartnersDurham Academy

Durham Public Schools

Oak Foundation

Stewards Fund

Lifetime Transformers

AJ Fletcher Foundation

Butler Family Foundation

Carl and Deb Anderson

Chris and Linda Bailey

Doug Cerny

Duke University Office of

Durham and Regional

Affairs

Dutch Kuyper

F.M. Kirby Foundation

GlaxoSmithKein IMPACT

Award of the Triangle

Community Foundation

Jim and Lauren

Whitehurst

Mark and Cynthia Kuhn

Morgan Creek Foundation

Robertson Foundation

State of NC DHHS

Suzanne Brock

The Grable Foundation

Theus and Pat Armistead

United Way of the Greater

Triangle

William R. Kenan, Jr.

Charitable Trust

Made For Durham, By Durham

Founding Partners

Duke University

Durham Academy

Durham Public Schools

North Carolina Central University

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

And our staff, who work to make the

dreams of our students a reality

Made For Durham, By Durham

Board Members

Deb Anderson – Director, Wood Partners

Mark Anderson - Attorney at Law, McGuire Woods

LLP

Chris Bailey – Entrepreneur and Consultant

Robb Cadwallader – Real Estate Entrepreneur

Heidi Carter – Chair, Durham Public Schools Board of

Education

Maritza Chirinos – Chair, Guardians 4 Student U;

Parent Representative

Anthony L. Clay – Director of Advancement, Carolina

Friends School

Jennifer Crawford - Pediatrician, Teaching Assistant,

Durham Academy

Made For Durham, By Durham

Board Members

Mariah Eckhardt – Director of Global Marketing,

Burts Bees

Lee Hark – Assistant Head of Head and Upper

School Director, Durham Academy

Mark Kuhn – President, Kuhn & Associates, Inc.

Bela Kussin (Board Chair) – Educational Consultant

Wynetta Lee – Dean, School of Education, North

Carolina Central University

Eric Mlyn – Assistant Vice Provost for Civic

Engagement, Executive Director of Duke Engage,

Duke University

Luren Whitehurst – Co-founder, side *

TEACHERS

We are destined to change the world.

We will empower our students.

We will learn from each other.

STUDENTS

We are destined to change the world.

We will dream fearlessly.

We will share our brilliance.

EVERYONE

We are role models, teachers, students and

friends

We learn to live, we love to give

We are destined to succeed.

We are Student U!