You had actress Jennifer Aniston, rock star Gwen Stefani and NASCAR driver Noah Gragson. Then there was celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Even Albert Einstein, Walt Disney and Pablo Picasso made a return visit from the afterlife to the Snow Family Grand Atrium of Schar Hall, along with a dozen other famous figures from throughout history.

Welcome to the first ever Dyslexia Superpower Character Day hosted by the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ, North Carolina’s only university-based, private elementary school dedicated to helping children with dyslexia learn to read and to thrive.

Nineteen children now enrolled in the third, fourth, and (as of this month) fifth grades wore costumes on Oct. 29, 2026, to introduce themselves to the campus community as individuals with dyslexia whose professional and personal accomplishments are world renowned.

The children’s teachers also wore costumes of event “security” and entertainment “press” to roam the room and ask questions of the students.

Though their normal school day is in a renovated Trollinger House just across the railroad tracks and down the street from the Historic Neighborhood, students that Thursday morning visited the School of Communications to practice their public speaking.

“This is a great opportunity for them to be self-advocates and express to other people how dyslexia may be a challenge but it’s also a gift,” said Alicia Tate, acting director of the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ. “Though everyone here at �鶹��Ƶ has supported the academy, now they’re seeing its impact in the faces of our children. This makes it real.”

Though everyone here at �鶹��Ƶ has supported the academy, now they’re seeing its impact in the faces of our children. This makes it real.

– Assistant Professor Alicia Tate, Acting Director of the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ

And the kids? Well, they were one part proud of their work and one part excited for the candy and toys offered to them from visitors.

“Noah Gragson,” known by his classmates on a regular school day as Jace, smiled while discussing the way his mother suggested that he be the famous driver. A toy NASCAR vehicle gift by his grandfather was at Jace’s feet. His only complaint? “I’ve been standing now for an hour!”

“Jamie Oliver,” otherwise known as Finley to her friends, also followed her mother’s character suggestion. Finley loves to cook, she said, and boasts a personal superpower of “resourcefulness.” She, too, was delighted to show off the bag of candy at her feet.

“Pablo Picasso” was the character selected by Lorelei. And just like her two classmates, Lorelei heeded a suggestion from her mother. “I’m a good artist and like to paint and that kind of stuff!” Lorelei exclaimed as she held pink plastic vampire’s teeth given to her by an attendee.

Each student in the room had a story to share. Each story made Tate smile with joy.

“I’m so happy,” she said of the dozens of professors, staff members, and �鶹��Ƶ students who engaged with her elementary school students. “We’ve had such a great turnout today.”

Established in 2025 through the generosity of Marjorie and Hal Roberts, the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ is the first and only university-based private school in North Carolina for children with dyslexia. The school welcomed its inaugural class in August 2026. 

The academy will expand to serve students in grades one through six in a new school currently planned for East Haggard Avenue, scheduled to open in Fall 2028.

Designed as a transitional school, Roberts Academy serves students for up to three years before they return to their community schools with the skills and confidence to succeed as scholars, entrepreneurs and civic leaders.

The school offers rolling admissions and is still accepting applications for the 2026-27 academic year. Visit the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ website to learn more.

When she arrived at �鶹��Ƶ, she planned to pursue international financial law. But as she considered her future, she began looking for a way to bring those two interests together. She reached out to department chairs across campus, asking questions about different majors and where they might lead.

A conversation with Professor of Public Health and Human Service Studies Cindy Fair helped her find that connection in public health. Studying its sociocultural dimensions alongside finance offered a path toward healthcare administration, a career she hadn’t previously considered.

For Gomez, the ability to explore that path began with the support that brought her to �鶹��Ƶ.

An Odyssey Program Scholar and Business Fellow from Sanford, North Carolina, Gomez receives the John L. Georgeo Scholarship. She credits the scholarship and the Odyssey Program with easing the financial pressure on her family and giving her room to make the most of college.

“I think without that, I don’t even know if �鶹��Ƶ could have been an option for me,” she said.

That support shaped more than her decision to attend. It allowed her to consider opportunities based on what she could learn, including an experience abroad supported by an additional Odyssey grant.

“It’s really nice to be able to go to college and just focus on being at college, not to focus about the financials of it,” she said.

Gomez came to �鶹��Ƶ after earning an associate degree from Central Carolina Community College while attending Lee Early College. The experience helped her develop study habits, explore possible careers and learn how to seek out resources. At �鶹��Ƶ, she continued asking questions and building relationships with people who could help her find her direction.

Her interests came together during an internship with Cura Systems in Singapore. There, she worked with nursing homes transitioning from handwritten records to a digital system.

Gomez helped set up tablets, developed instructions and guided staff through unfamiliar technology. Working with employees from different countries also challenged her to communicate across language barriers and build trust as they learned together.

As the company’s first intern, she had a chance to help shape her role. What began as an unfamiliar assignment became an opportunity to see how business processes and technology could support healthcare work.

“I didn’t ever think I’d be in a technology consulting role, but I really enjoyed it,” she said.

Her time abroad also gave her a clearer sense of herself. While studying in Australia, she began waking early to watch the sunrise and noticed how often people made time to be outside before and after work. She brought that routine back to Charlotte for her next internship, taking morning walks and walking to the office.

The experience helped her become more comfortable on her own and more deliberate about the life she wanted to build.

Back in North Carolina, Gomez applied what she was learning through a practicum with the Alamance County Health Department. Its baby closet provides donated clothing, diapers and wipes to local families. Gomez helped move its handwritten tracking process into a digital format, making information about visits and needed supplies easier to organize.

She has also explored food insecurity closer to campus. Through her PACE job as food justice coordinator in the Office of Environmental and Place-Based Education, Gomez works with Professor of Education Scott Morrison to research how universities help students access meals.

Being part of the Odyssey Program made her aware of the difference financial support can make. It also prompted her to think about students outside the program who might face similar needs. She has researched campus food pantries and meal swipe donation programs, hoping that work can contribute to additional resources at �鶹��Ƶ.

Gomez credits mentorship with helping her turn those interests into action. Business Fellows Director Tina Doss has been a consistent source of guidance, while Morrison encouraged her to become more involved in public health.

Those relationships have shaped how she approaches her own roles in admissions and student government. When younger students have questions, she wants to help them find someone who can answer.

“It’s just advocating for yourself and others is the biggest thing that you have to do,” she said.

After two summer internships with EY in Charlotte, Gomez plans to return to the firm full time after graduation. During her most recent internship, she worked with healthcare and life sciences clients, continuing to connect her finance education with her interest in health.

She also found a network of �鶹��Ƶ alumni at EY who made time to meet with interns and share advice. As she begins her career, she hopes to help develop more formal mentorship opportunities for interns in tax and audit.

The scholarship that helped Gomez attend �鶹��Ƶ gave her the freedom to explore an unexpected direction. The people she met along the way helped her pursue it. Now, she wants to offer that same guidance to students following her.

“I want everyone to succeed, honestly, more than I have,” she said.

Over the course of seven days, participants immersed themselves in the history, culture and character of the City of Lights. The itinerary combined iconic landmarks and meaningful learning opportunities with the camaraderie and spontaneity that make group travel so memorable.

For Christi Floyd ’97, the relationships formed along the way were a highlight of the experience.

“Paris was more amazing than I imagined, but what really made the trip was the people I got to experience it with,” Floyd said. “Traveling with �鶹��Ƶ alumni was so much fun, especially since we were able to connect several times via Zoom prior to the trip. We instantly had that �鶹��Ƶ connection! We laughed, explored, ate and drank, sang the �鶹��Ƶ Fight Song in the airport, and made lots of memories. I came home with a love for Paris and a whole new group of �鶹��Ƶ friends!”

A global classroom

Led by retired Professor L.D. Russell, the Paris excursion marked the second trip in a growing alumni travel program that extends �鶹��Ƶ’s tradition of experiential learning beyond campus. The program creates opportunities for graduates from different generations and backgrounds to continue learning together while exploring destinations around the world.

“This experience demonstrated that the power of lifelong learning and connection can happen anywhere,” said Kendra Haskins, senior director of Alumni Engagement. “Our �鶹��Ƶ community is full of curiosity and an explorer spirit. What a perfect mix for travel!”

A journey through Paris’s history and culture

With guidance from Russell and an experienced local tour leader, travelers experienced many of Paris’s most celebrated landmarks. Highlights included dinner at the Eiffel Tower, an exploration of the Louvre’s priceless treasures, and a visit to Versailles, where the group learned about its history, architecture and gardens.

The experience also allowed participants to balance structured learning with independent exploration. Unlike students studying abroad, travelers had the flexibility to design portions of their own itinerary and discover the city according to their individual interests.

“It was my first time in Paris, and I feel like this was the perfect way to experience it,” said Rachel Renfrow ’24. “I had plenty of time to explore what was important to me while also participating in the group activities.”

Renfrow also appreciated the opportunity to meet alumni and others from across the university community.

“It was special because I got to interact with people from so many different parts of �鶹��Ƶ,” she said. “I had insightful conversations with L.D. and enjoyed seeing �鶹��Ƶ through the eyes of an alum who now works there and someone who attended the law school. It was fun getting to know everyone and sharing our �鶹��Ƶ experiences.”

A new chapter in alumni engagement

This Parisian adventure was the second in an announced series of educational travel experiences for alumni, family and friends. Upcoming journeys include:

Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park
July 6-12, 2027

Women of �鶹��Ƶ WEekend in NYC
Sept. 16-20, 2027

Christmas on the Danube
Dec. 4-12, 2027

Be a traveler, not a tourist with �鶹��Ƶ! Read more about upcoming travel with �鶹��Ƶ Alumni on their website: /u/alumni/travel

Here we learn, here we grow. 
Every day there’s more to know. 
We are thinkers, we are strong,
And at Roberts we belong.
Dream big, shine bright, as a Phoenix we take flight.
Side by side, here we say, we can learn in our own way. 
This is our school, this is our day.
We are Roberts, hip hip hooray!

Such was the energy and emotion on display at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ, a new elementary school made possible through a transformational gift to the university by a Florida couple that has made the education of children with dyslexia the focus of their philanthropy.

The school was established in 2025 by the generosity of Marjorie and Hal Roberts, who witnessed firsthand the transformative power a multisensory approach to reading education can have for children with dyslexia. Their gift supports both the Roberts Academy and the Roberts Center for Dyslexia and Engaged Learning within �鶹��Ƶ’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education.

The Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ is the fourth private school established by the couple, joining , , and in a network of programs committed to the advancement of education for children with dyslexia and related conditions.

The school opened this fall in a temporary location on Trollinger Avenue for third and fourth graders. Plans are unforlding for a new 30,000-square-foot building that will eventually host students in the first through sixth grade. Roberts Academy teachers use the Orton-Gillingham method of instruction, considered one of the most effective approaches to helping students develop strategies for overcoming their reading difficulties.

The ribbon-cutting on Oct. 2, 2026, featured an invocation by the Rev. Kirstin Boswell, �鶹��Ƶ’s chaplain, followed with remarks of reflection and gratitude by:

• �鶹��Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book
• Philanthropist Marjie Roberts
• Ann Bullock, dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• Alicia Tate, acting director of the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ
• Tait Arend, senior philanthropic adviser at �鶹��Ƶ

Book recounted for those in attendance how �鶹��Ƶ made a promise to children with dyslexia that a learning difference would not be a limitation – and a promise to parents that they would not be alone in their journey to understand their children’s learning needs. Book then delivered a charge to the students seated before her.

“I want you to know that �鶹��Ƶ is a Hebrew word for ‘oak,’” she said. “What’s unique about oak trees is they grow the best in groves, and their root systems connect, and they become stronger as a team of trees. I charge you, as little Phoenix, to act like a grove of oak trees and to support each other and to help each other be successful as classmates.”

In her own remarks, Marjie Roberts thanked parents for placing their trust in �鶹��Ƶ and the Roberts Academy.

“This academy has the ability to restart the educational experience of young students and make the experience successful and rewarding,” she said. “It will rebuild their self confidence, enrich their minds and be a source of pride. It will change the lives of students by setting them on a trajectory of achievement and success.

“This is a celebration of what the academy will mean for the 16 children who are now enrolled, what it will mean for their families, and to the thousands of others who will follow.”

This is a celebration of what the academy will mean for the 16 children who are now enrolled, what it will mean for their families, and to the thousands of others who will follow.

– Philanthropist Marjorie Roberts

Tate introduced members of the Roberts Academy faculty and staff and Arend thanked members of the implementation team that worked to launch the academy, with Bullock serving as host and emcee of the afternoon program in the parking lot of Trollinger House.

And then there was the student cheer and the presentation of a personalized gift to the Roberts family: framed artwork featuring paper hearts with the names of each child who is part of the charter class of students.

“To our first families, thank you for believing in our school before the school even existed,” Arend said. “You all believed in us not only before the first stapler was purchased, but before the first staple was purchased. You trusted us with the children you love more than anything. And while there will be many, many children who walk through those doors, there will only ever be one first day, and there will only ever be these first 16 students.”

Currently overseeing the organization’s activities and executing its strategic mission, Brophy has spent her entire career in Washington, DC, working on issues related to housing, transportation, and the economy. As the director of transportation and infrastructure at the Federal City Council, Brophy led the redevelopment of Union Station, and as an asset manager for Community Preservation and Development Corporation (now Enterprise Community Partners), she oversaw a portfolio of more than 2,000 multifamily residential units financed with a range of complex structures, including LIHTC, Section 8, Section 236, Community Development Block Grants and more.

With an ongoing commitment and passion for the Washington, DC community, Brophy has extended her work through many boards and councils, including membership with Destination DC, Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, Women’s Transportation Seminar, Young Professionals in Transportation and the Urban Land Institute. In addition, Brophy has chaired the DC Bid Council since 2024, and the DC Sustainable Transportation Board since 2022.

Brophy graduated from �鶹��Ƶ with a degree in business administration, later earning a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Georgetown University. In 2016, Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies recognized Brophy as a member of the Hoya Professional 30 – demonstrating her leadership, potential, and excellence.

President Book was recognized for her commitment to expanding �鶹��Ƶ’s presence through new programming and steering the merger with Queens University. Over the last six years, �鶹��Ƶ has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for teaching, emphasizing the university’s commitment to engaged and experiential learning. Book hopes that the merger will create an even greater talent pipeline for the Charlotte community, strengthening local businesses and organizations.

“I’m a student of the science behind innovation, and research demonstrates how cities are engines of innovation,” Book told the Charlotte Business Journal. “As people come together, they build synergies that unleash creativity. Higher education is essential to this equation…”

Senior Director of PGIM Sean Burke ’14 was recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal for his commitment to finding new ways to finance affordable and workforce housing in the Charlotte area. Over the last 25 years, PGIM has provided over $29 billion in affordable and mission-driven financing, preserving over 307,000 multifamily units. Burke hopes that affordable and workforce housing will come to be viewed as essential economic infrastructure that drives economic mobility, workforce stability, and long-term growth.

“I challenge conventional thinking because the most pressing issues rarely have simple solutions,” Burke told the Journal.

Burke graduated with a degree in finance and was a Business Fellow, a scholar in the Odyssey Program and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. In 2024, the Office of Alumni Engagement recognized Burke with a Top 10 Under 10 award.

North Carolina has shown strong economic growth in recent years, attracting major corporate investments such as JetZero and Amazon. In the first six months of the year, the state recorded 58 new projects representing 7,249 jobs and $5.6 billion in capital investment.

We’re the envy of much of the rest of the country.

But sustaining that growth will require more than recruiting companies to North Carolina. It will require making sure the state has the talent, skills and ideas those companies need to grow once they arrive. And that means building stronger, more intentional relationships between businesses and the state’s universities, colleges and community colleges.

Higher education has long provided workers, research, technology and ideas to thousands of North Carolina businesses. But as competition for jobs and economic investment becomes fiercer — and as artificial intelligence, tariffs and demographic changes reshape the workplace — the relationship between higher education and business needs to become a much higher priority.

The reason is simple: universities cannot effectively prepare students for the future of work if they aren’t talking regularly with the people creating that future.

Colleges nationwide are facing a well-known enrollment cliff, with a projected decline of at least 13% nationally by 2041 because of declining birth rates. Six of North Carolina’s biggest school districts saw enrollment declines in 2026, and the number of public and private high school graduates in the state is expected to plateau between now and 2041, according to the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management.

At the same time, North Carolina is projected to need more than a quarter of a million additional workers by 2034. The companies hiring those workers will want graduates who can contribute quickly—not only with technical knowledge, but with critical thinking, communication, problem-solving and the ability to adapt.

That creates an important responsibility for higher education: to listen to employers as carefully as universities expect employers to listen to them.

Working with the SBTDC, in various capacities since 2011 – a program administered by N.C. State University on behalf of The University of North Carolina System and in partnership with the Small Business Administration – Hicks has played a key role in both program management and support of the program’s 16 regional offices across North Carolina.

Hicks simultaneously serves in a variety of community-based roles, including as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Business and Technology Extension Programs in the Office of External Affairs, Partnerships, and Economic Development at NC State University, the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of America’s Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC), the Chair of the UNC System’s Economic Transformation Council and as a board member of the NCWorks Commission.

In 2019, he was recognized with the Executive Director’s Award by the NC SBTDC and was selected as the North Carolina State Star by America’s Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) in 2015.

Hicks graduated with a degree in Business Administration and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon while at �鶹��Ƶ. He has remained an active member of the �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Board since 2024.

In his new role, Massey will manage a portfolio of alumni, parents, and friends to build scholarship resources and increase engagement to benefit student learning and faculty achievement.

“I am excited to work with Zane, who brings experience in educational advancement and corporate finance,” said Hilton Kelly, Dean of �鶹��Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences. “He will help continue the support of gifts made to �鶹��Ƶ College that will benefit our students, faculty and programs.”

Massey joins �鶹��Ƶ from Seton Hall University. In his previous role, Massey stewarded major gifts, provided fundraising counsel to university partners and closed out a five-figure gift.  

Before joining Seton Hall University, he served as the director of alumni relations at Xavier High School, his alma mater in New York, where he worked with affinity groups, alumni, parents and a board of directors to manage a donor portfolio of $2 million and founded the Dr. Franklin Caesar Scholarship for students of color, increasing it from $2,500 to $500,000.

Massey said he is excited to bring the financial skills he has developed over the last 25 years to help the College’s mission of serving students and its importance of a liberal arts education.

“This role presents an opportunity to be bigger than any individual,” Massey said. “It’s an opportunity to grow, learn and help usher in a new era as �鶹��Ƶ continues to grow and position itself across the nation and world. I’m looking forward to representing the liberal arts and all the possible pathways available for the students.”

Before working in education, Massey worked in finance for Fortune 500 companies in insurance broking, healthcare, medical devices and utilities as a senior cost and reporting analyst.

“I found meaningful work in education, and I see this role as an opportunity to connect donor philanthropy to the goals of the College,” Massey said. “I’m eager to work together with this community to build the next generation of critical thinkers that not only think about the result, but how they achieve the result.”

Massey received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Clark Atlanta University, two master’s degrees in business administration from Fordham University and sports administration from Canisius University and a doctorate in higher education from St. Peter’s University.

�鶹��Ƶ will host “United in Purpose” on Thursday, Nov. 5, bringing together alumni, parents and friends of �鶹��Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte for an evening of connection and community.

The event will be held at Urban Garden in Charlotte and begin at 6:30 p.m. with a hosted reception featuring hors d’oeuvres. Guests will gather at 7:30 p.m. for a special program featuring remarks from �鶹��Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book. A dessert reception will follow the program and conclude the evening. Business attire is requested.

United in Purpose
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026
6:30 p.m. — Hosted reception with hors d’oeuvres
7:30 p.m. — Program
Dessert reception to follow until 9 p.m.

Urban Garden
150 N. College St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

Register at or contact advancement@elon.edu.