Kessler Scholar Landon Day says that Carolina and the Kessler scholarship have offered him opportunities he never would have imagined taking.
Landon Day has always prided himself on being self-sufficient.
However, much of his time at Carolina has been defined by the connections made and learning how to direct his talent outward. He credits being a Kessler scholar for much of his success.
The Kessler scholarship supports first-generation college students from rural areas of North Carolina. All the students demonstrate financial need. The program fosters connections based on shared experiences of coming from rural and first-generation college student backgrounds.
The national Kessler Scholars Collaborative recently renewed its partner campus grant, an investment that helped support Day’s opportunities at Carolina.
Day grew up in Beulaville, North Carolina, a town of fewer than 1,200 people about 57 miles north of Wilmington, North Carolina.
His family moved there from Lenoir, North Carolina, when he was in elementary school. Initially struggling to adjust, he kept to himself and focused on academics.
Day eventually built connections through church, which he credits with giving him the strength to reach out when he feels himself pulling inward.
“Church has always been a big thing for me,” Day said. “It’s where I found so many of my lifelong friends, and they made me a more social person.”
When it came time for college, Carolina wasn’t at the top of Day’s list. But during a campus tour, he got a phone call that changed everything.
“I got a call from Candace Jones,” Day said, referring to the coordinator of the Kessler Scholars Program. “She was calling to tell me I was a finalist for the Kessler scholarship, and I couldn’t believe it.”
Day earned the scholarship and arrived at Carolina in fall 2023.
As when he moved during elementary school, Day felt nervous about fitting in at a new place. But through a first-year course required of Kessler scholars, he quickly built friendships with others in the program.
Not long after, he joined another campus community that further broadened his experience — the Psalm 100 a cappella group. He’s now the organization’s president.
“I had never sung a day in my life before, but my love for singing quickly sprouted, and the people became my safe haven in Chapel Hill,” Day said.
These connections prepared him for his internship with Jennifer Drake, the senior business analyst for Carolina’s department of enrollment. The opportunity was made possible via Kessler Scholars Program staff, who recommended Day due to his ability to juggle academics and extracurricular activities.
Day’s work included navigating software used by business analysts, shadowing Drake in meetings and watching how she handled daily challenges.
“At the end of my internship, she told me I had done a great job,” Day said. “But she also told me she wasn’t always aware of what I was doing each day because I was constantly keeping to myself when getting my work done.”
Drake’s feedback at the end of the internship reminded Day that the best work — and the best experiences at Carolina — happen alongside others. Day plans to keep working with her throughout his senior year.
“I want my senior year to be driven by a sense of purpose,” Day said. “Working with people has given me that purpose. I tell every first-year student that it’s important to find your people. That’s what makes Carolina what it is.”
Story originally published by Josh McCormack, University Communications and Marketing.
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