Today I want to share some information on a few fronts. We’ve gotten some questions about availability of gas in North Carolina relative to the Colonial pipeline issue. A friend tipped me off to Gas Buddy, which shows where there is gas available. I managed to go out at 7:45 am and find a station close to me that had gas. You can’t be picky (there was only unleaded, and the card reader at the place I went was broken; thankfully I had cash). But that is an option if your Deacs need to find gas. We are continuing to monitor the situation, and this message went to resident students tonight.

Also, my colleagues who are working on Commencement 2021 have asked me to share a few things:

Tickets – see the tickets website for info.

Graduates must distribute the tickets to their guests. Graduates can forward the email with the tickets to guests or print the tickets for guests.

Parents and families, please remind your senior to send to you the tickets.  Ticket information will be emailed on Thursday to seniors.

Guests will only be allowed entry via the unscanned ticket. A ticket can only be scanned one time. So please do not leave the venue once you scan in, as you will not be allowed readmittance.

Programs

There will be a program at the Diploma Ceremonies, but it will be smaller than the ones that were distributed in past years. That’s because finals are still taking place on May 15, so we cannot grade all the finals, calculate course grades, and have a full listing of official graduates’ names and distinctions overnight.

Graduates will receive 2 printed commemorative programs, with the honors and distinctions included, by mail in late May. So know that will come, just not be on site on May 16.

Guests

Please do not bring extra family members to the venue to ask for an extra ticketWe will not have extra tickets available; two tickets is the limit for each graduate. 

Bringing people who do not have a ticket will slow down the process of admitting guests, and with so many ceremonies, it is important that all events start on time.  People who arrive without a ticket will be asked to return to their vehicles.

While we are asking all guests to be in their seats 10 minutes before the ceremony begins, ticketholders have the right to enter the event at any time. So we will not be able to ‘look for unused seats’ to give to extra family members. Theoretically, that ticket holder could arrive 5 minutes before their student’s name is called, or before a particular speaker at Truist Field is about to give their remarks, and their seats are guaranteed.

Parking and arrival information – is available here.

Believe me when I tell you that our Commencement team has tried to be as nimble and flexible as possible with these arrangements. We are bound by the State of NC’s orders around capacity at these events, and we have used issued every single ticket we have. We wish we had the ability to accommodate everyone who wants to attend, but we do not. We are grateful for everyone’s understanding that this is how we have to proceed to hold Commencement in person.

The remainder of today’s blog is information that might be helpful for families who have children (both at Wake or still at home) and are looking for summer programs.

For parents with kids still at home, Wake has some great options for both middle and high school students this summer and during the upcoming school year. If your Deac loves Wake, why not spread the love to their younger siblings? 

Here’s what you need to know about Summer Programs: 

Still accepting applications for Summer 2021 

All programming will be online

Engaging, high caliber Wake faculty/staff will lead programs

Hands-on activities, labs and simulations

Here’s what you need to know about our school year program:

Programming focuses are college prep, social justice, and leadership development

The nine-month program meets one Saturday per month from September to May on the Wake Forest campus

There is NO cost for this amazing program!

Still accepting applications from current sophomores (rising juniors) from Winston-Salem and the surrounding area

SUMMER PROGRAMS

For middle schoolers: Summer Exploration Program – Designed for curious young minds, the Summer Exploration Program is the newest addition to Wake Forest University’s Pre-College Programs lineup. Middle school students are invited to explore with us online as they investigate the world of STEM through one of our five STEM-themed adventures. Explorers will participate in hands-on activities led by Wake Forest staff and undergraduate mentors. Don’t miss out on the fun this summer. Apply today!

For high schoolers: Summer Immersion Program – This summer, high school students will dive into 21 diverse career pathways. This is especially impactful as your student thinks about the future. Students gain clarity and insight when they have the opportunity to hear from Wake Forest faculty, staff and students, learn about different majors and career pathways, and are able to interact with other bright, motivated students from all around the world! Space is limited, apply today

ACADEMIC YEAR PROGRAM  (September through May)

College LAUNCH for Leadership – College LAUNCH for Leadership is another Wake Forest University Pre-College Program that provides an amazing opportunity to regionally local students during the academic year. College LAUNCH serves high-performing high school juniors who have been historically excluded from higher education. Our programming focuses are college preparation, social justice, and leadership development. This FREE nine-month program has two cohorts located in (Charlotte and Winston-Salem) and its 2021-2022 annual program will begin this September. Students meet one Saturday per month at Wake Forest University, from September – May and learn from higher education experts, community leaders, corporate mentors, and pre-college staff. 

College LAUNCH has enacted a waiting list for their Charlotte region but is still accepting applications for their Winston-Salem cohort. If you know a current high school sophomore (rising junior) in Winston-Salem or the surrounding communities, please encourage them to apply. While there is no deadline, interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Please reach out to Dr. Meleah Ellison (ellisonm@wfu.edu) with any questions about College LAUNCH for Leadership. 

I suspect that many within the Daily Deacdom have high school students (and maybe some middle schoolers too). Others may have nieces, nephews, mentees, neighbors or other relationships with young folks who fit in the pre-college population. These are some phenomenal programs being offered by the Pre-College Programs, so please share the word with interested folks. 

For those with currently-enrolled Wake Forest students, I have gotten several questions about our SportsBIZ program after I had mentioned it in April. Here’s a refresher from my SportsBIZ colleagues. SportsBIZ is perfect for any student interested in:

Learning fundamental principles of business

Career readiness and network expansion

Knowing the breadth of career opportunities in the multibillion-dollar sports industry

Obtaining insights from the career journeys of many sports industry leaders

Hearing from guest speakers, like those from last summer, who were affiliated with the following organizations and more:

Companies who worked with SportsBIZ last year

SportsBIZ is an incredible experience, but don’t just take our word for it: check out what Reedy Clark, a 2020 SportsBIZ student, has to say about her experience! You can also hear Dr. Phil Anderson, a SportsBIZ faculty member, talk about what “Game Time” will be like while learning in his Strategic Management module. Who wouldn’t want to learn Sports Marketing from Dr. Kenny Herbst, whose passion for business, sports and teaching are clearly evident?

Stats about the SportsBIZ program

So if your Deac has an interest in sports and business, this could be a great choice for them this summer!

 

— by Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (’92, MA ’94), with a big assist from my colleagues in Pre-College programs and SportsBIZ

 

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