Employee Feature
Carly Wilson, ASPSA Tutor (Fall 2021)
Hometown: Huntersville, NC (North Charlotte)
Class: 2022
Major: Double major in History and Political Science (concentration in Law and Justice)
Fun Fact: I’m bilingual and spent last summer working in Spain
Favorite Class: HI-335 World at War
Activities: Alternative Service Break (ASB), Intern at Eldreth Law Firm, Kappa Delta Sorority
Honors: Dean’s List, Top 10% of Class of 2022, Gamma Beta Phi Honors Society
Favorite experience at NCSU: Beating Clemson!
Career Goals: I will be attending law school in Fall of 2022 to pursue a career in Sports and Entertainment Law
Why did you choose to tutor/mentor with ASPSA? I chose to tutor with ASPSA because the idea of using knowledge in fields I’m passionate about to help student-athletes succeed in their classes and focus on what they’re passionate about was very appealing. The main reason I have stayed at ASPSA for the past two years has been just that; it makes me so happy to assist student-athletes in connecting their class material with their own life experiences and approaching their work with confidence. Ultimately, ASPSA assists student-athletes in being successful on and off the field, court, pool, or track, and it is an experience that promotes both personal and academic growth.
If you could provide us with a short quote or statement about your experience as a tutor/mentor so far. ASPSA serves to not only build athletes’ confidence, but that of its tutors and mentors as well. I have learned so much from working with students who I may not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet at NC State, and it has certainly had an impact on my career goals. ASPSA has certainly been a defining aspect of my overall college experience!
Sara Innes, ASPSA Mentor (Fall 2021)
Hometown: Cary, NC
Class: 2023
Major: I have an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Campbell University, and I am currently working on a Masters of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at NC State.
Fun Fact: My dog is named Paw George after Paul George the NBA player.
Favorite Class: My favorite class in my master’s program has been Multicultural Counseling. It introduced me to so many different stories and experiences that I otherwise would not have heard about, and has been instrumental in helping me choose a career path.
Activities: In my time as an undergraduate, I was involved in Campbell First Year Experience, Relay for Life, Special Education Club, and the Writing and Tutoring Center. As a graduate student, along with my work in ASPSA, I have had the opportunity to work in the Summer START program and be a part of some of the various activities that the Chi Sigma Iota honor society puts together. Outside of school, I work part time as a preschool teacher, and do some volunteering with a local ministry.
Honors: I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Campbell University, and I am currently in the Nu Sigma Chi chapter of the Chi Sigma Iota honor society for counseling students.
Favorite Experience at NCSU: While I am a distance education student, I live close enough to campus where I get to go to many football and basketball games. My favorite of those is when I was in Greensboro to see the women’s basketball team win the ACC tournament in 2020.
Career Goals: When I am finished with my program, I will be a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. My plan is to work in a non-profit setting with families and children in crisis, or more specifically, in an agency or organization that deals particularly with foster children and their families and adoptive parents and children.
Why did you decide to mentor with ASPSA? I loved my time spent tutoring in undergrad, and my counseling classes have given me some tools that I thought could be helpful to the student athletes. I also wanted to be a part of the team that gave the student athletes the tools to succeed in a time when classes, homework, and everything looked different because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you could provide us with a short quote or statement about your experience as a mentor so far: Starting this job in the middle of the Pandemic was one of the most intimidating things I have ever done. Yet, I have had the opportunity to watch students grow even when they were faced with obstacles like in-person classes switching to virtual classes or having to give a speech over a Zoom meeting. Their resilience and perseverance have inspired me to continue on in the face of unprecedented challenges in both my own life and our world.
Joshua Sipe, ASPSA Mentor (Fall 2020)
Hometown: Gordonsville, VA (A small town outside of Charlottesville)
Education: BA in History at Christopher Newport University-Newport News, VA and MA in History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Fun Fact: I was a first-generation college student.
Favorite Class: My favorite class as an undergraduate was a history class on the Civil Rights Movement in which we conducted oral history interviews with locals about the movement in Hampton Roads. Not only was the content engaging, but it started me off on my path towards studying race in the American South in graduate school. As for graduate school, my favorite class was an independent study on race and college athletics where I got to read lots of scholarship about the connection of two areas of interest.
Activities: In college, I was involved in the Honors Program, the President’s Leadership Program, Residence Life, Greek Life, Undergraduate Research, Study Abroad, Intramurals, and the Competitive Fishing Team. In grad school, I served on the Graduate History Society and also worked for ASPSA at UNC-CH. Now when I am not working you can find me watching some type of sport, reading, or playing the drums.
Honors: I graduated Magna Cum Laude in addition to earning Highest Honors in History and Service Distinction. Also in undergrad, I was a Prestigious Scholar, a Ferguson Fellow, and recipient of several research grants. During my time in graduate school, I was a Jacquelyn Dowd Hall Research Fellow.
Career Goals: I just recently started as an Academic Guide at Duke University. This position provides holistic student support services from a residential area with the goal of promoting academic success, wellbeing, and resilience in students. I am excited about this position as it blends many of my interests into a single position. One day I hope to direct some type of academic support center at a university, but that is a long way away and life is a crazy journey so we will see!
Why did you choose to mentor with ASPSA? Previously I have worked with academic support programs for student-athletes at Christopher Newport University (a D-III school) and UNC-CH. Working with these students in various roles I developed a passion for helping them navigate the challenges of balancing their academic and athletic identities. Additionally, I love helping students figure out what success means to them and then figuring out a plan to get them there. Therefore, the academic mentor position in ASPSA provided a great opportunity to support a new community of student-athletes and gain new experiences.
If you could provide us with a short quote or statement about your experience as a tutor so far. My favorite thing about working as a mentor at NC State ASPSA is learning about the students I work with and seeing them grow in confidence as learners.
Jonina Wrenn, ASPSA Tutor (Fall 2019)
Hometown: Tarboro, NC
Class: Senior
Major: Human Biology
Favorite Class: News & Article Writing
Activities: Volunteer at InterAct, member of SMS, enjoy cooking and hosting friends
Honors: Park Scholar, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, University Scholar, WEB DuBois Honor Society
Favorite experience at NC State: teaching assistant for Dr. Ferzli
Postgraduate/Career Goals: medical school and work in health policy
Why did you choose to tutor with ASPSA? I wanted to help students tackle difficult topics and also refine my knowledge of the material
If you could provide us with a short quote or statement about your experience as a tutor so far.
“Working at ASPSA has allowed me to help many students but has also helped me become a better student.”
Cal Maxwell, ASPSA Mentor (Spring 2019)
Hometown: Asheville, NC
Class: Class of 2019 (Senior)
Major: Sport Management with a Minor in Business Administration
Favorite Class: Sport Marketing with Dr. Kyle Bunds
Activities: Bible Study Leader with Cru, Sport Management Club Vice President, Co-Founder of Spirit League which is a basketball program for athletes with special needs.
Honors: Deans List, Apex Community Service Award
Favorite experience at NC State: My favorite experience at NC State is last year when we beat Louisville in football on a Thursday night game. It was an incredible atmosphere.
Postgraduate/Career Goals: My dream job is to one day be a Division I Athletics Director. Regardless of my end career, I want to work within collegiate athletics where I can assist in student-athlete development. I also hope to continue to grow Spirit League, which is a basketball program for athletes with special needs that I became a co-founder of my freshman year.
Why did you choose to tutor with ASPSA? I thought it would be a great way to bridge the gap between my passion for collegiate athletics, and my ambition to prepare student-athletes for life beyond sports. This program has done just that and more. ASPSA has a great reputation of high integrity and developing young men and women into great members of society. It is great to be a part of a program that takes pride in doing things the right way.
If you could provide us with a short quote or statement about your experience as a tutor/mentor so far.
My experience as a tutor and mentor has been fantastic. It has been amazing to watch students gain confidence and skills that they need to achieve at a high level in the classroom. On top of this, the staff has been incredibly kind. Not only have they equipped me with the skills that I need to assist student-athletes in the classroom, but they have also been supportive and encouraging of my own future goals.
Jessica Mattie, ASPSA Mentor (Spring 2019)
Hometown: Ringoes, New Jersey
Class: Graduate
Major: Counselor Education, School Counseling
Favorite class: Multicultural Social Work because it taught me how to be more multiculturally competent when working with my students. Having difficult conversations with my peers about privilege and identities were essential to my development as a counselor!
Activities: NCSU Counseling Center Mental Health Ambassador, Pi Beta Phi Sorority, NCSU Dance Company
Honors: Graduated Summa Cum Laude in Social Work in 2017, Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Honors Society
Favorite experience at NC State: This is my 6th year at NC State so it is hard to choose just one, but I would say getting into NC State for graduate school!
Postgraduate/Career Goals: I will be graduating in May 2019 with my M.Ed. and plan on becoming a high school counselor. My goal is to combine my counseling experience and my work with ASPSA to create a transition program for high school athletes who want to become NCAA student-athletes!
Why did you choose to tutor/mentor with ASPSA? When I began my graduate program, I knew I wanted to work with students in any capacity to prepare myself for the personal/social, academic and career counseling I would do in the future. I have learned so many techniques regarding time management and academic coaching that I have incorporated with all of my student-athletes as well as my high school students!
If you could provide us with a short quote or statement about your experience as a tutor/mentor so far. Becoming a mentor has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had at NC State. It has prepared me for my future career as a school counselor and ignited a passion for working with student-athletes! I worked as a SummerSTART Mentor this summer with our incoming freshmen and helping them transition from high schoolers to college students was so motivating. I hope my students know how much they have inspired me in my career!
Taylor Hayden, ASPSA Tutor (Fall 2018)
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Class: Class of 2020 (Junior)
Major: Double major in International Studies and Arabic with a minor in Business Administration
Favorite Class: English
Activities: Intern for the Office of Global Engagement at NC State, President of Arabic Club. When I’m not on campus or studying I like to run. I am currently training for a half marathon.
Honors: Outstanding Student in Arabic two years in a row,
Favorite experience at NC State: My favorite experience at NC State so far is when State beat Duke in basketball at home!
Postgraduate/Career Goals: After graduating from State I hope to pursue a go on to get my Masters in International Business then go into working with a company that does a lot of business in the Middle East. I would also like to get involved with a nonprofit that is helping with the Syrian refugee crisis.
Why did you choose to tutor with ASPSA? I chose to tutor with ASPSA because of the high standards they hold their students to. It was an environment that I felt I could bring a positive influence to and really make a difference in. I love reading and writing and I like that this job gives me the opportunity to help other students discover that they like it and to better their skills.
If you could provide us with a short quote or statement about your experience as a tutor/mentor so far. Tutoring at ASPSA has been one of the most rewarding jobs I have had as it has allowed me the opportunity to watch my students gain confidence in a subject area that they have struggled in previously and develop a new interest in.
Rachel Bland, ASPSA Tutor (Fall 2018)
Hometown: Harrells, NC
Class: 2020
Major: Elementary Education: STEM
Favorite Class: I had a physics class freshman year that was specialized for elementary ed majors, so we worked on experiments we could replicate in our own classroom.
Activities: First Year Mentor, STEM Coach, and Goodnight Fellow with the Goodnight Scholars Program, executive board member for Education Council, and in my free time paddle boarding, ukulele, working on the farm, and reading.
Honors: Goodnight Scholar
Favorite experience at NC State: As cliche as it sounds, working with ASPSA! I interact with a group of students I wouldn’t encounter otherwise, and I learn something new every day I go into work.
Postgraduate/Career Goals: be a lifelong learner! (probably as a classroom teacher wearing a few other hats)
Why did you choose to tutor with ASPSA? I am one of the lucky few who loves learning and sees class as an opportunity, not a chore. Our student-athletes have such hectic schedules. I wanted to be a positive influence in their academic lives. They have so much pressure placed on them for their physical ability, but I wanted to be able to challenge and support them in their academic endeavors as well.
If you could provide us with a short quote or statement about your experience as a tutor/mentor so far. A friend of mine Kayla Delzer shared the mantra, “Everyone’s a teacher. Everyone’s a learner.” That quote embodies why I love working with ASPSA and why I am pursuing a career in education. I think it is so important to make every student feel valued and appreciated. Your GPA and test scores do not define you- neither does your batting average or fastest mile. For me, tutoring isn’t a job as much as a continued opportunity to learn, and I hope that my joy in learning- if not contagious- is at least recognizable.