By: Matt Bertram
As the Assistant Director of Marketing for Carolina Housing, I have the privilege of witnessing so many amazing journeys Tar Heels embark on every semester here on campus. And of course, living on campus enriches that experience by placing students at the center of it all and providing a lifestyle that allows them to truly maximize and take advantage of all that Carolina has to offer.
In the form of a new marketing initiative, it’s our collective honor at Carolina Housing to shine a spotlight on student residents that embody our mission and represent diverse examples of the fulfilling benefits of life on campus.
First up is recent graduate Sophia Raspanti. Hailing from Gastonia, North Carolina, Sophia lived on campus all four years during her tenure at Carolina. More specifically, Sophia resided in Alderman Residence Hall, located on the northern tip of the UNC Chapel Hill campus, and featuring a grand piano in its lobby. As a lifelong pianist, Sophia often found herself playing songs on this piano, finding a little slice of home and comfort within the ivory keys beneath her fingertips.
Sophia also loved the proximity she had to the beautiful Coker Arboretum, a serene outdoor garden space, that provided a peaceful retreat to indulge in book reading and relaxation.
And when it came time to study, Davis Library was her preferred choice, the expansive halls within providing ample space for Sophia to find a corner to call her own and focus on preparing for an exam.
After experiencing the great sense of community living on-campus offers firsthand, Sophia joined SafeWalk, a student organization whose mission is to provide safe travel alternatives for UNC Chapel Hill students at night. She became a “Safewalker”, a trained student employed by UNC Police who walked with students to their desired destination.
Sophia loved living on campus. I know this because it was precisely her love for Carolina Housing that brought her to us as a marketing intern in Spring 2023. After quickly excelling in her role as an intern, and then graduating that May, Sophia joined our staff in a professional role as a Social Media & Digital Marketing Coordinator. It was very neat for me, watching someone who had truly lived the on-campus journey with Carolina Housing (all four years, no less!) then be an ambassador for us on social media and on our website, connecting with students and guiding them through their own experiences at Carolina.
As a Biology major, Sophia’s heart always lied in the medical field, and she has since gone on to pursue nursing school (fortunately not abandoning her Tar Heel roots and attending Carolina’s nursing program later in 2024).
In closing, Carolina Housing’s spotlight shines beyond the words within this article, and it’s my great pleasure to urge you to watch Sophia’s story for yourself, in a fully-produced mini-movie. I hope you’ll find something in her story that speaks to you, something you can relate to. While students may come to us from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds, we are united on-campus as Tar Heels, and at least for a little while, it’s where we all call home.