Oral history interview with Courtney Moore, 2017

Brittany H.: My name is Brittany Hedrick and today is Monday, April 17th, 2017. I'm in the Cobell Room with Courtney Moore, class of 2017, and President of GRO. To conduct an oral history interview, for the UNCG Institutional Memory Collection. Thank you Ms. Moore for participating in this project, and sharing your experiences with me.

Brittany H.: I'd like to start the interview by asking you about your childhood. Could you tell me when and where you were born?

Courtney Moore: I was originally born in Richmond, Virginia. I moved to North Carolina, when I was going into second grade. Raleigh is pretty much, where I like to consider home. I grew up in a single parent household. My mom raised me and one of my brothers.

Brittany H.: Okay. Just one brother?

Courtney Moore: I have another brother, he's a half brother from my dad. But we're 10 years apart, and we kind of took different paths growing up. He was in and out of jail, and my other brother and I were more close growing up.

Brittany H.: Okay. What did what'd your mom do?

Courtney Moore: My mom, she worked for the city for awhile, the city of Raleigh. 00:01:00She also picked up a side job at Lowe's Hardware Store when I was in high school. To help you with bills, and stuff like that. She wasn't really around that much, to help me with homework and things like that. Because she's always trying to provide, and work, and make sure that me and my brother had what we could have.

Courtney Moore: There was hard times, where we didn't have water and food. We didn't have lights sometimes, and things were really, really tough. But she was a great mom, and she helped us push us through.

Brittany H.: Where did you go to high school?

Courtney Moore: I went to high school at Leesville Road, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Brittany H.: You said the Leesville?

Courtney Moore: Leesville Road High School, in North Carolina.

Brittany H.: Yeah. Okay. Did you enjoy school? What were your favorite subjects?

Courtney Moore: My favorite subject in school, was probably science because it was very hands-on, it was very creative. Every day we walked into class, it was something different, something new. Like one day we dissected a frog, another day we were about to have something explode.

Courtney Moore: It's very fun, and that's when I realized what kind of things I liked to do. I'm a very hands-on person, and I have to have a different change in environment every day. Versus coming into the classroom, and it's the same schedule every single day. I'm more of a fun person.

Brittany H.: Yeah. Okay. Did you do any extracurricular activities in high school?

Courtney Moore: Yeah, so I ran track, and I also did safety patrol, and things like that. I was in digital media, I want it to all three levels of that. I would stay after school, and help make videos and things like that. But track took up a big portion of my time. But I was also trying to be involved in the Lion Club, and things like that.

Courtney Moore: But it just didn't work out. Because sometimes I had to help my mom out. And had to work two jobs, my last couple of years in high school though. So, you know.

Brittany H.: I've been there, too. When did you graduate from high school?

Courtney Moore: 2013.

Brittany H.: 2013?

Courtney Moore: Yeah.

Brittany H.: Why UNCG?

Courtney Moore: At first I didn't pick UNCG. I was at William Peace University in Raleigh, North Carolina. They offered me a scholarship, and it was close to home. I wasn't 100% sure if I was ready for a huge university, but I also didn't want to go into a local community college.

Courtney Moore: I tried to William Peace out for a semester, hated it, wanted to leave. Asked my mom, "Can I leave?" I didn't like my roommate, I didn't like how small the school was. It's just too closed in. The only clubs they had was, Democrat club, they had Republican, and they had a Pinterest club; only three clubs in the University. If you didn't play a sport, you pretty much didn't do anything.

Courtney Moore: I did work study. I did volleyball. I was a volleyball manager, and I was a basketball manager. That took up time, and it was fun and I got paid for it. But after a while, I'd quit my jobs so I could have the college experience. But there was nothing to do, so I started working. After a while, I just wasn't really that interested.

Courtney Moore: I decided to transfer my sophomore year. My parents made me wait a year out, to finish my scholarship. One of my friends actually went here from high school, so I came to come visit. The environment at the Fountain was very... it was the most family oriented school I've ever seen in my life. There's a lot of things going on, there's a lot of different people, but the Foundation is kind of like a Kumbaya.

Courtney Moore: Everyone was gathered around, singing, dancing. It was pretty outside. People got Taco Bell, and we're just hanging out and singing songs. It was just a very different environment. That's what really attracted me to come to this school, because that's something like... it was like high school again, but more everyone respects everybody.

Courtney Moore: If you're walking through campus, everyone says, "Hello, how are you?" You don't really get that, if you go to NC state. If they don't know you, they don't speak. And just faculty, staff and everyone's very friendly, so I really liked that.

Brittany H.: Okay. What year did you get here, again?

Courtney Moore: I got here in 2014 to 2015 was my sophomore year.

Brittany H.: Okay. Okay. I know you talked about the Fountain, but what your first days on campus like, other than the Fountain maybe?

Courtney Moore: I'll be honest, when I first got to UNCG, I lived in Spring Garden Apartments. I didn't want to do the dorm life again. I liked having a bigger bed. I love my room. I loved how I had a kitchen, and things like that. That was my favorite, I thought that was the best dorm on campus. I still think that.

Courtney Moore: My first couple of days, it was kind of weird. Just coming in as a sophomore, everyone already has their set groups, and they're set clicks. I came in as a freshman year, everyone's trying to get to know each other. But no one was really that interested, in getting to know me.

Courtney Moore: I wasn't that involved when I first got here. So, my first couple of days, I was confused about classes. My advising, I decided to come over the summer, so I didn't have an in-person advising appointment. I struggled a little bit with school, at the beginning. I took math, biology and a bunch of hard classes together. which wasn't the best decision. I should have eased into 00:06:00it, but I didn't.

Courtney Moore: The people, they were nice. But, just no one was really interested in being my friend. I had a hard time with that. I did have a hard time with depression, and things like that. Just the whole switch. I didn't go that far, I was an hour and a half away from Raleigh. That was pretty tough.

Courtney Moore: But then I got into the intern... the opportunities at UNCG are really great, though. The marketing internship was on campus, it was walking distance from my apartment. I got into Campus Activities Board, which is now ACE, which is Activities Campus Eevents I think.

Courtney Moore: Then I also got into, it was a new group trying to start up. It was a women's empowerment organization called Chosen. That group didn't really take off, and it wasn't the active. But, just having like-minded people come together. I started meeting new people and really becoming... I had a fun ... doing Fountain Friday, passing out shirts.

Courtney Moore: Always getting exclusive access to the different events for the marketing internship. It was fun, but it was a lot of hours. That was eight 00:07:00hours, actual shift. But, it wasn't paid, so I also needed to find another job. After second semester, I decided not to return. I mean, when I first got here, I was really involved, I really liked it.

Courtney Moore: But however, with my work schedule, and meeting new people and things like that. Trying to more focus on the social aspect, my grades weren't that good my first semester here. The second semester I worked hard to grow, and move up in student organizations. But I didn't have the GPA for it, so I had to wait a year, besides doing certain ones. That's how my first days were here.

Brittany H.: Okay. What was your major, if you've changed it?

Courtney Moore: At my old school, my major was Communication Studies. When I transferred to UNCG, I wanted to go into the Communication Sciences, to become a speech pathologist. Basically, I transferred so I didn't have enough credits. You have to get into the program, going into your junior year and I was short 00:08:00two credits.

Courtney Moore: Obviously my GPA wasn't that good at my old school, it's a 3.45. It was okay, it was a good GPA. But when I transferred, it started over. So, I really didn't have the grades to get into that. They gave me two options. I could transfer to A&T, since you go right into it, and I didn't want to transfer again.

Courtney Moore: Or, I could have waited a year ... took extra classes. I didn't really want to do any of that. I decided to change my major back to communication studies. But my old school, communication and media studies were one major. When I can do it UNCG it was, there's media studies and communication studies. Excuse me.

Brittany H.: You're fine.

Courtney Moore: I really didn't know that, so I'm a communication major now.

Brittany H.: Okay. So, communications major. What did you do for fun?

Courtney Moore: When I first got here?

Brittany H.: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Courtney Moore: I went home a lot. I went back to Raleigh, because that's what I'm used to; that was my comfort zone. But when I was here, I went to parties. I went to different clubs, events. Excuse me.

Brittany H.: No, you're fine.

Courtney Moore: Fountain Friday, that was the big thing. They always had Kona Ice, or they had fun step outside. CAP held the homecoming concert, and things like that. Most of the stuff I did for fun, was on-campus events. I didn't really explore too much outside of Greensboro area, until I got a little bit older. But that's pretty much it. I was pretty much a homebody in my room, for the most part, for a while.

Brittany H.: Yeah. Well, I know you were talking about living in the dorms. You've lived at Spring Garden, I don't really know. You might have to explain a little bit. Spring Garden Apartments?

Courtney Moore: Yes.

Brittany H.: That is considered a dorm?

Courtney Moore: Yeah, it's a different type. You share a bathroom, and you have a kitchen. Then you have your own closet, desk, and you have a full size bed. It's better than the average dorm. It's really nice. It's more for upper class students, sophomores and up. I think some freshmen, or maybe athletes have opportunity to move in there if there's not enough room.

Courtney Moore: But, it's right across from Bojangles. They have it's own parking deck, underneath the building and that's very different than any other dorm. Because everyone else, you have to walk a little bit to get to your parking spot. It was nice when it was cold outside, to just walk underneath there, so I really liked that. If I had to live on campus again, I would probably say there.

Brittany H.: Right. You don't live on campus anymore?

Courtney Moore: No, I've lived in to off campus apartments, since I moved up here. My parents are so tired of it. I lived in University Village, which is on Spring Garden. Then, there's a bunch of bars and restaurants over there, and it's also really close to campus, as well. It's literally across the parking lot 00:11:00from Spring Garden Apartments.

Courtney Moore: Love it. The balcony, the area, the location is amazing. The staff there, they love students. They give you free printing, they give us free food and everything. They were really great place to live. I just moved, because my roommates all graduated. I moved to Province.

Courtney Moore: Province is okay, it's just on a dead-end of campus. There's just woods, and there's not many gas stations or corner stores that you can just walk. You kind of have to get in the car to go everywhere. I like Province to a certain extent, but it's not my favorite place.

Brittany H.: Yeah. Okay. What about your involvement in extracurricular activities now? I know you are President of GRO, could you tell me a little bit about that?

Courtney Moore: GRO was founded in 2006, by Christina Cunningham. Her vision was, to help make the girls of today the woman up tomorrow. We do 00:12:00mentoring-ship, but that came later on. The mentoring program, where we go off campus to Lincoln Academy, which is off Gate City Boulevard. We mentor young girls, that are sixth through eighth grade.

Courtney Moore: We help them with self-esteem issues, if they're going through bullying, and things like that. We help sponsor them for Prom, or their eighth grade social. Things like that. We also do a lot of community service. We also do a lot of events, as empowering women. I've implemented two, three different programs since I started in GRO.

Courtney Moore: I actually walked on as an executive board member, because I've had the skills and the ability to be on the executive board. I wasn't never a general body member, so I thought that was pretty cool. When I came, I started Are You Afraid of the Dark? Which is a domestic violence event, where we have survivors come. To come share their story, and basically come out of the darkness about what they've been there.

Courtney Moore: It's very empowering, very motivating. That happens during domestic violence awareness month, in October. That's something that I 00:13:00implemented. I also did the Everybody Fashion Show, this was the second annual year. We had over 170 people there, we had to tell people to stop coming in.

Courtney Moore: Basically, the purpose of the show was to help women feel... it doesn't matter if you don't wear makeup on stage, if you don't want to wear shoes. If you think you'll have great looking a certain way, go on stage and own it. This year, we had our mentees walk on stage with us, and walk on stage with the models. It's a huge big confidence building thing.

Courtney Moore: There's a whole week in March, based off women's empowerment. We did Endometriosis Awareness Day, which is where you bleed backwards on your period. It can help cause issues later down the road. Like premature babies, and things like that. That was a big thing, because our founder went through that. People get the opportunity to meet her.

Courtney Moore: We had a do-it-yourself, spatial scrub day to help women feel beautiful on the outside. We did an educational event. We also did a women's expo. I implemented that program, which is basically, we have a bunch of 00:14:00successful women around campus, outside of campus. It was like a mini career fair, but women that are looking for you, and how did you get in your spot? That was motivating on a professional level.

Courtney Moore: Then the [inaudible 00:14:15] was the fashion show. GRO takes of a lot of my time. It's a lot of work, but at the end of the day, to see the look on young girls' faces. Or, to see the look on my general bodies' faces, and how it makes me feel. It's like, I would never trade it for the world. It's really helped shaped my college experience a lot.

Brittany H.: Yeah. That's awesome. What does GRO stand for, again?

Courtney Moore: Girls Reaching Out.

Brittany H.: Girls Reaching Out.

Courtney Moore: Our whole mission is basically, to empower women. Our job is basically, to just help support women. This year we did a three and three basketball tournament, to help raise money for breast cancer. We gave it to two women suffering from cancer. We helped implement adopt-a-family for Christmas.

Courtney Moore: My coworker, she has two daughters. She was struggling, and she lost her car. They live in an apartment. We raised a bunch of money, it was 00:15:00almost $400. We helped buy them Christmas presents. We bought everything on their Christmas list, threw a potluck. and had them a surprise party in my apartment. She busted out crying.

Courtney Moore: The women that we gave money to, that were suffering from breast cancer. They busted out crying, really thankful for the work that we do. Standing in the EUC, talking to students, "Hey, would you like to donate a dollar, or a penny, or quarter, or anything that you can give?" It seems it doesn't really impact a lot, but if 10 people walk by and each donate $5, it adds up after awhile. We take that, and we really make sure all the money goes to the cause. It's a really impactful thing, that even faculty have recognized us for.

Brittany H.: Wow. Well, I know that GRO isn't the only thing that you're involved in, correct?

Courtney Moore: Yeah. I'm in another things.

Brittany H.: Okay. Let's see. You talked about being in SGA. Then you said something to me before we started, about a student reflection leader. Do you 00:16:00want to talk about those things?

Courtney Moore: Yeah, the SGA also takes up a huge portion of my time. I have three different positions in SGA. One position is, I'm a Commuter Senator to be in Senate. That means I'm able to have a vote. There's legislation that needs to be on path. For example, let's say we wanted to paint the whole EUC blue and gold to help create school spirit. We would all talk about it, vote on it, obviously go through the motions with the staff, administration, the chancellor, and then I would have a vote on that.

Courtney Moore: My job is to reach out to the constituents that that travel to campus everyday. They don't live here, they come from High Point, they come from off campus like myself. I live five minutes later I'm still considered a Commuter Senator. Issues around that, I try to find ways to make things better.

Courtney Moore: My next SGA position is, I'm on legislative boards, so I am a publicist. I revamp the social media page. When I started we had around 200 00:17:00followers, and now we're almost at 600. I did that through social media contests. I did a photo challenge. If you participated in photo challenge everyday, whether you took a selfie with someone that makes your experience at UNCG great.

Courtney Moore: Or, if you took a picture of your favorite spot on campus. Or, if you wore your organization's shirt and took pictures with them, like with your squad. We made it fun, and very interactive and students really you got really competitive. But it was great, because people were just following. One of the rules were, you had all the SGA page. Our followers went up, and it was crazy and we had a great time doing it.

Courtney Moore: One one of our girls climbed Minerva, and then the EUC to take a really awesome picture and post it. That was really great. As a publicist, I just really had fun making videos. Like when we had different events, SG Bae, which was a Valentine's Day social. Where we invited students out, and we had music. Juju On My Beat is a huge song and dance right now.

Courtney Moore: We had a huge Juju On My Beat contest, and recorded it and put it on social media. That video, it didn't go viral, but it went viral for UNGC students. They thought it was pretty cool, that normally SGA is known as a very serious organization. That we dress up in suits, we dress up, we're very serious and handle issues. I thought it was great as a publicist, to see another side of SGA the other people don't see.

Courtney Moore: At the end of the day, yes we were serious. Yes, we care about the students. Yes, we take our jobs very serious. But, at the same time we're students at the end of the day. I think when you're in leadership positions, and when you are involved in on campus, people tend to forget that you're also a student, you're human at the end of the day. You cry, you laugh, you have fun, you go out with your friends. It was great to actually show, the actual students in student government. That's a really big thing.

Courtney Moore: I'm also on the Supreme Court, so have any issues. I got nominated because I'm a non-biased person. Let's say if there was an issue with elections, someone ran a race dirty or something like that. They bashed another person, or something like that. They would come to me, and I would decide if you 00:19:00are able to be in the race, or if you're going to be disqualified.

Courtney Moore: Thankfully, I haven't had any issues that, the students are pretty great. They're very respectful. But that is another position, I do hold in student government.

Brittany H.: Okay.

Courtney Moore: Yeah. I also did the OLSL Office, is basically an Office of Student Service Learning. Most students here, and most majors are required to do a service learning classes, that are basically there. You go to class, but you also have an aspect where you go into the community and you help volunteer. Whether you go to Horse Power, which is about 40 minutes away. You help people that suffer depression, or if they have disabilities or anything that. They use horses as a therapy.

Courtney Moore: Your professors encourage you to go into the community and help, and really give an importance to that. That's also something really cool that UNCG does do. They don't make you volunteer, but it's really very pushed. 00:20:00There's a whole office dedicated to it. To be a Student Reflection Leader, my job is basically to have students reflect on: why do you go into the new community? Why are you volunteering? Why are you helping? By serving foods at a homeless person, what does that do to help make you feel good inside?

Courtney Moore: It really does help with your develop professional development, social development, and it really helps humble students as well. I just help them reflect on it. It's a pre-year reflection process where, where are you now? There's a middle process, where I sit down and talk to them about, how are you feeling? Are you seeing growth? Then at the end there's a post-reflection process. Then we just talk about, how far have you come?

Courtney Moore: Some students are like, "I don't want to do this. It's stupid." But then you talk to them, and you're like, "Hey," you know. It's a mentoring program, basically. You just really try to reach out to them. Some of our SRL leaders are in the classrooms. My job was, I was a Gold Project leader. I was trained to help all students, in different situations.

Courtney Moore: Gold Project UNCG has a leadership challenge here. It goes from 00:21:00bronze, silver and gold; gold is the highest level. Where most of the time, it's juniors or seniors. Because they've had the time to do it. They work independently on a huge project. I did Days for Girls, and Bowl for Kids' Sakes. Where Days for Girls, they made reusable tampon products. They actually are turning into a organization here at UNCG, and that was really great.

Courtney Moore: The fact that it was just [inaudible 00:21:27] service project, and now it's turning into a club in the fall. That's something that's definitely going to stick around. It's helped people, it really helped them grow on campus. To the point, they're leaders now. They're starting their own organization, and that's really giving back to the community. They do a digital project, and they're going to have their own Excellence Award banquet. I think it's... yep, April 20th; it's next week.

Courtney Moore: They're going to have that, and show their videos. Basically showing what they did. I had to help them, when they felt like they were in a rut. I was like, "You guys know your resources on campus. Reach out to 00:22:00University Village, or Province or different student organizations. See if they'll donate, so you guys can do a raffle to help raise money." So that, they can help fund kids that are going through a lot of things. Help them achieve their goals, and things like that.

Courtney Moore: It's been a great experience. I'm glad I decided to do it at my last semester. As a senior, it's really helped me grow professionally, even just a short couple of weeks. Well, they're not that short. But, the last couple of weeks of school. It's been a really great experience just to see how, sometimes it's really hard as a college student, to look at another adult and say, "I'm mentoring you."

Courtney Moore: But, in order to actually help someone that is like you, that has their own walk of life, it's really great to just help them overcome different battles. For me to be a leader, and for me to help them through whatever they're going through. It's been a great experience.

Brittany H.: Okay. What are some of the challenges that you faced, in all of these organizations?

Courtney Moore: Well, women's empowerment organization, there are a lot of women 00:23:00in there. It's a lot of girls, they have attitudes. Every day is not the best day. It's really a lot that people... everyone's a great person, but they always challenge you. They keep you on your toes. Especially when you're dealing with the younger kids, they keep you on your toes. Some days they're having good days, some days they're having a bad day.

Courtney Moore: Just being challenged to remain calm and professional at all times, has been a huge challenge for me. Because the old me used to be like, before I got to college I used to be that person, that you're not going to say anything to me. I was very snappy. But now, it's like I really take things in. I just take everything by a grain of salt. It's really helped me just mature, basically. You can say whatever you want it to me, but I just don't take it personal.

Courtney Moore: I just literally look at whoever's anger, whoever's upset, whoever's going through something because you have to take in accountability. Even just having a own exec board of six, seven different girls, everyone's not 00:24:00going to be at their best every day. A challenge is, to see everybody's weakness. Not only when they're at their best, and when they're not at their best.

Courtney Moore: Really help pushing them forward. Whether they need to go home, or see... It's kind of like you're really a boss. At the end of the day, no matter how you're feeling, that the organization is still going to go, the business is still going to run. Really trying to keep that business and personal relationships separate, but still also the hearing for people, and still making sure you're have everyone else's best intentions at heart, has been a huge challenge for me.

Courtney Moore: I really didn't expect that. But I'm glad I have gone through that experience with GRO. In SGA, there's just a lot of... like I said, I'm a Community Senator, my focus is being the students that are off campus. But there's also Graduates Senators, there's School Senators, there's all different types of things at different areas, Everyone has their own focus, and everyone has their own job that they really... that your area.

Courtney Moore: Basically trying to get everybody to work together. Not, "This is my thing." But, "This is something, that we're all in SGA at the end of the day. The logos representing everybody." As a publicist, that branding, not, "This is my event," but really pushing people and encouraging people to work as a team, has also been a huge challenge. Because you're going to push really hard for your event, you're going to post more flyers. You're going to make sure people, like you tell your friends to go.

Courtney Moore: But other people's events is like, "Okay, that's not my event. I'm not going to help you," kind of thing like that. So, getting people to see it as a "we" thing versus a "I" thing has been a huge challenge. But we have come a really long way. I'm not saying we were bad, but just really helping everybody. If we're going to help you with this event, you help... just working together like I said, with SGA.

Courtney Moore: The Student Reflection leader, it's very new. It's a very new job. It's something that they felt like, that was needed. But putting me on a Gold Project is something, that this is their first semester doing it. Just to see how it went. Because most Gold Project students are, it's like I said. 00:26:00They're juniors, seniors, they're very independent workers. It's a small group that works together.

Courtney Moore: So, really feeling they need me, having them want to meet me has been a huge struggle. That has been something that's caused some... not issues. But it's like a little speed bump. But once they realized that they need help and accept that, it's been smooth sailing ever since then. But just basically dealing with people that are adults, but they're not adults yet. Just having people see it that just because you're at a certain point, there's always room for growth. So, that has been a huge challenge in all of my organizations.

Brittany H.: Okay. Well what about some of your proudest accomplishments and contributions in that? I mean, that could be academically, or within these organizations. I know you did a lot with GRO, you have a lot to be proud of with that. Anything else, that you maybe forgot to mention? Something that just 00:27:00really makes you proud?

Courtney Moore: Basically, when I first got here, as I stated before, my GPA wasn't that great first semester. I don't think I've ever really told anybody that, outside a small friend group. But I was on academic probation my first semester, and now to be graduating with above a 3.0 is a huge academic accomplishment. Because I was ready to drop out, I was ready to go back home. I was ready to give up.

Courtney Moore: But I don't know what it was, I just kind of got it together. UNCG's hard, it's a very hard school academically. But they challenge you, and they push you to limits that you didn't think that you could even go. But it really helps you just grow and develop. My brother even told me... he didn't go to college, but he took the modeling route. He's great, he's successful. He's in New York, own apartment, great.

Courtney Moore: But he like, "I see yourself, you're way smarter than you are a couple of years ago." I mean, it's funny, but it's actually very true. UNCG's very diverse, and they open you up to different things. Even like I said, the 00:28:00service learning aspect of it is a huge thing. That's one of my proudest things, that I graduate with above a 3.0. People always told me, that I wasn't going to go to college.

Courtney Moore: They've always told me, that I wasn't going to be something. Even the closest people to me, even my dad didn't think I was going to graduate college. I'm the first sibling, out of all my siblings to graduate. My dad didn't go to college. To be able to accomplish that, it's a very emotional. But I'm very proud of myself at the end of the day. It's not the highest GPA, but I mean, to pull it up from where I was to where I am now, I feel very successful.

Courtney Moore: To be able to do that, with being involved in three different organizations. They're all leadership positions as, well. To maintain that, and to also work as well. That's been something very... I basically told myself, "I can do anything I set my mind to." I'm proud that I'm my biggest cheerleader 00:29:00now. I was basically came from starting off at the bottom as a sophomore, and coming to my senior year.

Courtney Moore: Also, I was on homecoming court. That was a huge accomplishment, because there's a lot of people that apply for that. I didn't really think I was going to get it. There's a lot of people, that are in huge leadership positions. It's the application process, it's an interview process, and you have to write a four page essay as well. Then, the school has to choose you.

Courtney Moore: I wasn't chosen as the next homecoming queen, but they're also, the competition is very tough. My homecoming performance was, I basically told my life story, from things I have never told anybody. Basically, like I said earlier, the times like... because I realize I'm in a women's empowerment organization. I'm always motivating people, but I've never really been 1000% transparent.

Courtney Moore: I talked about the times I experienced domestic violence a little bit, which is limited to that event. You can catch on and things like 00:30:00that I've been through, based all the things like that I'm very passionate about, and the things like that I try to implement on campus. But I never really talked about, what goes on with me personally.

Courtney Moore: I felt like from my performance, I couldn't sing, I couldn't dance, I'm not an artsy person. But you have to perform in front of the school, and people base their votes off of that. I got up there, and I did a little dance, one-two step. To a song that basically repeated "Do you want to be happy?" Basically it's foreshadowing how I went through depression very bad. I was very suicidal at one point.

Courtney Moore: The first half of my performance, is going back to towards that. At the end of it, I was basically saying... the dancers went offstage, but one sat there. I was talking to her like she was me. Like I was the voices in our head. I was just like, "Don't ever let somebody tell you that you can't do something. People's words don't determine your destiny." I was just talking to 00:31:00her, and I had the whole crowd in tears.

Courtney Moore: It really caught me off guard, because to me it's just life. It's just things I'm used to. It's things that I've just experienced. Going without for so long, is why I always want to give back so much. To be able to dump it on the whole school, and tell them my story in a short, three minute performance. That was a very big accomplishment to me, because I don't even tell one of my closest friends that about me. It was very hard, and I choked up a little bit, but I'm very proud of that.

Courtney Moore: Also everything I've done with GRO and SGA. Because when I first signed up for SGA, and I ended up getting the publicity chair, I was scared. Honestly, I didn't think I could live up to it. I never told anybody that, but in my head I was just like, "I don't know what to do." At first I really didn't like SGA, I'll be honest. I got into it the last half of my junior year. They 00:32:00swore me in, because it was a special election case, they needed more people.

Courtney Moore: I honestly thought it was pretty boring. We just dressed up in suits, and we sat there. But then, I took it as, "You need to change your mindset, if you want to change her experience at UNCG." I took it basically, in which is like, "It is what you make it." SGA was boring to me, so I made fun of my own way. We threw very social events.

Courtney Moore: I did a event recently, it was called LIT. Lit is a big thing. It's a new word. Like, "Oh, it's lit. The party's lit. You're lit." It's a new word. I changed it to Leaders Initiating Togetherness. I invited all different campus organizations together, and brought us together to have games, fun, food, It was a huge potluck. There was so many people is over 100 people, and I was very surprised. I was very proud of that.

Courtney Moore: I was able to bring people together and just push people, even within my organizations. Say, "All right." I mean, there's people, come to me all the time, saying they go through depression, they go through this, they go 00:33:00through that. Because after my homecoming performance. I've been able to mentor and help people, that think that they can't live another day, just really keep going. That's something I'm very, very, very proud of.

Brittany H.: Wow. Well, let's see. I wanted to ask just a few more questions. What about any professors, or staff, or maybe people that you've worked beside of in these organizations, that have really made an impression on you?

Courtney Moore: Madison Sampson, she's a grad student here. She's a huge role model, she's actually Miss North Carolina Black USA, recently. She can do everything in the world. She's in so many different organizations, so much so she has her own nonprofit organization, and she's above me. She's my go-to 00:34:00person for my student reflection leader. She's my boss, and she handles this stuff. Because she's underneath the OLSL Department. she's just so positive, and so motivating. she always works with me, and helps me.

Courtney Moore: She gave me different options what to do after college. I mean great, I made it so far. But it's like, "What do I do now?" It's kind of like I'm just back at square one, and I was discouraged about that. She's like, "Well, you could do a world teach program, take a gap year. You could join AmeriCorps, you could do Peace Corps.

Courtney Moore: She just gave me a bunch of different options. Because she's, I want to say... don't quote me, like 26, 25 now. She's been through UNCG twice, and she even wanted to come back as a master's student. Which she's doing now. She basically just gave me different options, and she's very, very, very... she's a great person. I honestly wish she could stay here another year. So she could be the advisor for Girls Reaching Out, because she's just a positive 00:35:00person. That's basically, the best way I can describe her.

Courtney Moore: Also Lauren Cunningham. I'm glad I did the student reflection leader. She works in the office of OLSL, as well. She's Madison's boss, and she's my boss as well. She's such a positive person. She's not one of those staff and faculty that's like, "Hey. How you doing?" "Hey, hey, you're here for this person." She's a very personable person.

Courtney Moore: She's like, "What are you going through, and why do you feel you're going to through that? She asks you a lot of different questions. She will never tell you anything, and she'll never tell ... well she'll tell you when you're wrong. She'll never tell you, it's more of a mentoring. "Okay, well you've done X, Y, Z, but how did you do that?" Or, I told her, "I just want to move to New York. I just want to do everything."

Courtney Moore: She's like, "I'm going to be honest with you. You're moving way too fast. She's you can't just overnight, become all these things like that you want to become." She's a realist, and she's very honest. Ad it's something, that you need that perspective. Because a lot of people will tell you, sell you false dreams. They'll say, "Oh, you can do anything you want to do." But let's be 00:36:00honest, everybody can't be President of the United States, if they wanted to.

Courtney Moore: Her and Madison as a team, really helped work together. Madison helped, showed me how to get there. Lauren gave me the perspective of, "This is what you need to do, you need to stop cutting yourself too short. Be proud of yourself." I beat up myself a lot. Those two are great people.

Courtney Moore: Then Professor Olsen, Loreen Olson, she's in the communications department. She's a huge advocate for domestic violence. I think she has her own story behind it, and she's always advocating ... my lab. I've taken two classes with her. She's a very conversational professor, where she just talks about different things, and pulls different things out of students. She's very reasonable.

Courtney Moore: She's the first professor I've ever had, I went to her and I expressed to her, I felt I deserved a better grade in her class. She heard me out, we went through all my old assignments and everything. She was like, "Okay, you deserved a point here. You deserved to point here." She bumped my grade up 00:37:00from a B to an A, because I deserved it, I earned it.

Courtney Moore: She was just like, "Just promise me that you'll always go for what you deserve." That was a huge, huge thing. Because I really wanted my GPA to be over a 3.0 before I graduated. She helped me with that. But she also helped me, say like, "Stand up for yourself. Although you turn in your work, if you feel as a professor shorted you, tell them and talk to them." She really just told me, basically, helped me vocalize myself.

Courtney Moore: Because, she reminded me, you do pay for your education. Just because you're a professor thinks you deserve 80, but you feel you deserve a 90, understand that this is like a business negotiating deal; just talk to them about it. I really appreciate her for that. She's amazing for that. I literally cried in her office that day. She's just an amazing woman. So, those three are really amazing, and cool.

Brittany H.: Okay. I guess that really, perfectly goes into my next question. 00:38:00What do you plan to do when you graduate? Are you going to go to graduate school? What does your career plan look like?

Courtney Moore: I'll be honest, a couple of weeks ago I had no idea. I just know I wanted to, just be successful, basically. Very cliche. After talking to Madison and Lauren, and having these conversations. My goal is, my brother moved up to New York. He models full time there. I have 500 things I want to do, but it's more about narrowing it down. Event planning and marketing, is something I'm very passionate about. But also, community outreach is something I'm very passionate about, as well.

Courtney Moore: Living in New York is something, it's like that go-to dream. But people always tell you be careful, when you were saying you're going to New York. Because you can go, but it's very expensive. You're going to have 10 roommates. Basically, I'm working with Maddie. They, both Madison and Lauren, they wrote recommendation letters for the AmeriCorps, and basically I will be 00:39:00joining that.

Courtney Moore: It's not set in stone, but I'm flying up to New York next week. I went through the first interview process, and I'm going to do the second interview process. Also, I have another job lined up with a huge communications department. I've been talking to them all school year. My cousin, who graduated a long time ago, put me in contact with one of the top communication fashion departments in New York. I'm actually interviewing with both of them next week.

Courtney Moore: It's been a very personal conversation. We're just going to go get coffee, just to get to know me. It's called Tutor Corps. Then it's basically my background in children, and working well with the community and things like that. They think I'll be a good fit in New Jersey or New York, so I know for a fact I'll be up there. But they're paying for my housing, and they're paying me while I'm there.

Courtney Moore: Then when I'm done with the program in a year, they're also going to pay back my loans and things like that, a certain amount of that. It's 00:40:00only a couple of thousand dollars, but I'm either going to take that to pay off my debt, or take that to go to grad school. This job, and I'm actually allowed to have another job while I'm there. Not only are they paying for my housing and things like that, I'm also going to try to work at my career while I'm up there.

Courtney Moore: Maybe on the side, modeling. I wanted to do that a while ago. I went up there and talk to the different models, and all of them have their college degrees. I was very surprised by that, because most people just go right out of high school, they just go and do it. But they were like, "No, you can't model forever." I want to try to see if I can do some modeling things, work on becoming a major event coordinator in New York. Also do my dream of giving back to the community, and I'm going to dedicate 17,000 hours of community service in the next year.

Courtney Moore: I'm going to speak it into existence. It's all going to happen, in the next week or so.

Brittany H.: Well, it's very impressive.

Courtney Moore: Thank you.

Brittany H.: Well, I just have two questions that related back to the University. I wanted to ask you if you taught that UNCG was an inclusive 00:41:00environment, and ask you what you thought about our new Chancellor Franklin Gilliam? If UNCG is not an inclusive environment, do you think that he's the person to change that?

Courtney Moore: UNCG is a very diverse school. When you walk around, you see lot of different people. The international students, I've really been getting a chance to know them recently. Just through, just social interactions and things like that. But the issue is, I think we're diverse, but we're not inclusive. I feel like there's still place. People that are in certain sororities, they stay with their sorority. People that are in frats, they stay with their fraternity.

Courtney Moore: People that are in GRO, there hang on and cling to the... you stick to what you know. We always push people to, "Get involved, get involved." But when you say get involved, you don't say, "Just because you're in a certain organization, don't shut out other people." There's still so many different people that go to UNCG, and I'm African American. I know some of the issues that 00:42:00we have here, is that the most active people on campus, the majority of them are African American. It's really hard to get other people that aren't in sororities, to come to different events.

Courtney Moore: Which is why I did that one potluck before I left. The Leaders Initiating Togetherness one, to really bridge the gap between the student organizations. I reached out to the French Club, I reached out to the Food Recovery Network. I reached out to the Latin sororities. I reached out to everybody you can think of, like the Chinese Club.

Courtney Moore: Just to really try to get everybody together, and just really say "Why can't we all be one?" Basically, the only people that wanted to come, were the African American groups for the most part. There were some, the Food Recovery Network came, and other people. But even when we got all together, some people were kind of, they were still in their cliques. But you mix them up, and play different games.

Courtney Moore: We all got a chance, to really get to know other people. I mean there are programs like UNCG like LeaderShape. They take you as an individual in 00:43:00the summertime, you go to the mountains, is where I went, Black Mountain. They put you with people you would never ever talk to. Not even because they're different than you, but just because our social circles would never cross.

Courtney Moore: They put you in the mountains for a week, doing these different leadership training things, and just really getting to know people. They put you in family clusters. I think UNCG does a job of trying to make things inclusive, and LeaderShape has been a huge deal. Everybody's like, "That something that you have to go to." I've met people I would never, ever talk to, and they are some of the biggest support systems.

Courtney Moore: Granted, there, some people had a closer connection than others. Like it takes me a lot of time, to open up to people. When I got back to the campus, and I started seeing... there's I think over 60 of us. When we got back to campus, all these student leaders, we're like, "Hey, can you collaborate in this event, and that event?" We just really got a chance to really get to know each other.

Courtney Moore: I think there needs to be a bigger LeaderShape thing, throughout the whole University. But that was something that was amazing. I do think like 00:44:00that, we are very inclusive. When we get back to the campus, we all held each other accountable to, "Hey, just because we're not at camp anymore, we're not at the institution, we're all going to stay inclusive, and things like that." We've held each other accountable for that.

Courtney Moore: But there's still other groups and other people, that it's really hard. That's something I still don't understand, even graduating. How hard is it for you, to go hang out with someone that's not in your fraternity? Because, if you take away the letters, you're just a student, you're a person, you're here to graduate. That's something I really hope UNCG changes, in the next couple of years. But, at the end of the day, it's all about people's mindsets, and who they are and where they come. But, UNCG does a great job of opening up people's mindsets.

Courtney Moore: So, it's pretty much based off of what the students view. But if they can help me shape the minds of students, that have the idea like, "Yes, we're diverse. We're diverse, and we thrive on that. But we're not inclusive." If they can help students be inclusive, I think will be great. We'll be 00:45:00literally, the most different school ever, and it will be amazing. We're already amazing.

Courtney Moore: As far as the Chancellor, like I said, as an African American woman, our chancellor is the first black chancellor I think UNCG's ever had, which is a huge deal. It was like Obama, all over again. Obama, UNCG. I never really got to interact with him, when he first started. But this school year being in SGA, I had the opportunity to go to his house. They pick certain leaders, different people, like international students, who have never talk, again.

Courtney Moore: UNCG does have these events, but you're only invited to those events, because all the food and money that goes into it, is if you're in leadership positions. The leaders are the ones, that go encourage other people to get involved and talk to other people. So, I was able to go to his house, and he had a huge game night. He was like, he didn't want anybody to dress up, don't wear a dress, don't wear anything. Just come as you are.

Courtney Moore: I did my hair and make up a little bit. You know, I wanted to 00:46:00impress the chancellor. His family was there, and we played games. It was actually his birthday, the next day. So, we sung and did a surprise birthday cake for him and everything. Then he fed us chicken and waffles, macaroni and cheese, quesadillas, sushi, sweet tea. Different, these fancy drinks, that they were non-alcoholic of course. It was amazing to have.

Courtney Moore: This is the first time we've ever done that, inviting students to his house. They paid for the shuttle, and everything for us to come. That was something that no chancellor, black, white, purple, whatever has ever done. That was great that we can see where our money goes to. And, who is this person that leading us? He was the most chillest person ever. He's so cool. He's very business oriented, but he's also a great person, genuinely.

Courtney Moore: His wife is amazing. His daughter, Aurie, she's cool. They all just hung out with us, and split up into groups and played games. We all got very competitive. It's just shows you, once you take letters or take people out a leadership positions. At the end of the day. It really helped to remind me, 00:47:00we're all humans and we're all at the same person. He does a great job, showing how humble he really is. I don't think he even means to, it's not an image. It's really who he is, and how calm he is.

Courtney Moore: There was a question during the game, who's your favorite artist or something? I mean, it was so funny. Because he put one of the local artists, that all the students know. We were like, "What? You know that song?" He is very, he's hip too. He doesn't know every slang word, but he's amazing. I honestly think he will do great things at UNCG. Because I've gotten a chance to actually meet him, and talk to him and interact with him.

Courtney Moore: Then his secretary reached out to us, to go do a golf cart thing with the chancellor. Where we ride around, it's like the show taxi cab. Where you get in, you have five minutes to ask him a certain amount of questions. Then he'll take you to class in his little buggy. I think by him doing fun, crazy stuff that, is so different. I think it's almost like, in elementary school my 00:48:00principal was always like that, because we were young.

Courtney Moore: But he's like that to remind us that, yes, we're adults. But we're also... stop being so serious all the time, and enjoy college. I think that he really pushes for that, whether he knows it or not. He's always having fun things to do that may help, just show who he is and be very transparent. Also to show that, "Yes, I'm your Chancellor, but I also can kick your butt in a game of UNO or something."

Courtney Moore: But I think he's great. I think he's what our University needs, to become inclusive and diverse.

Brittany H.: Awesome. Okay. Well, how has attending UNCG impacted and affected your life? What does UNCG mean to you?

Courtney Moore: I pretty much touched on that, throughout my entire interview. But, UNCG to me, is growth and development. If I had to just pick two different words. But, it is what you make it, I will say that. I've met people that came 00:49:00and dropped out. They left, not because the school is not for them, but because they didn't take the steps to get involved. UNCG has so much to offer, and so much stuff here. This is why my old school, they didn't have three clubs. UNCG has too many opportunities, and it's hard to pick; it's just amazing. It's very small, but it's still big at the same time, where you can feel you're not claustrophobic or anything that.

Courtney Moore: UNCG means to me, it was life changing. My parents fought me so hard on transferring. They were like, "You're not going. It's money, it's the money thing." My parents are separated, so my mom's more, what's in your best interest at heart, and she was worried about the finances. But now I'm about to graduate, they think that this was the best decision ever. I told them , and I kind of proved them right. UNCG gave me bragging rights to my parents.

Courtney Moore: I just really think this is a blessing, a huge milestone. When I 00:50:00graduated high school, I didn't feel ready for college. Now that I'm graduating in just a couple of weeks, I feel like I'm ready for the world. I'm ready for anything. I'm ready to deal with any type of person, that the world can throw at me. Whether you're angry, whether you're mad, whether you're sad. Whether you're just that one person, that's so quiet and closed off.

Courtney Moore: Because UNCG, it is diverse, you do come in contact with different people. I've taken the steps to make it inclusive for me. So, I have dealt with a lot of people on business levels, on professional level. It's really helped me just maintain different relationships. I just feel like, I can go be a CEO. They've motivated me, and they've helped me. It's all basically by challenging me, and putting me in different positions. Just exposing me to different things.

Courtney Moore: UNCG shows you what the real world is, what it really looks. It's not just one group, a bunch of people that act a certain kind of way. Everyone is so different, has different personalities. There are those people, that just want to see you fail. That don't want to see you do great. UNCG never 00:51:00showed you those false dreams of, "Oh, everybody's going to always be in your corner, and always motivate you." It's very realistic.

Courtney Moore: That's how all the organizations are ran, they're very realistic. If you all have a issue, figure it out. Work it out with yourselves. Whether you've got to verbally discuss it, or do what you need to do. But I've found so many different ways, to have techniques, and skills, and assets and work with different people. I just feel ready for the world, and I really love this school. I could come back, if I want. But it's like, I'm ready to go to the big city. But this has been great.

Brittany H.: Yeah. Well, we're doing these interviews as part of the 125th anniversary of the University, which is an excellent opportunity for reflection. But it also helps us to think about where we are heading in the future. What do you think the future is for UNCG, and where do you see UNCG going as an institution in the next, I don't know, 25 even 50 years.

Courtney Moore: Wow. Even just this school year, UNCG's added a huge Kaplan 00:52:00Center, with a pool and it, with a bunch... I never even thought about how small our gym was when I first got here. To me, the gym was fine. I was like, "Why are we investing so much money into a gym?" But the Kaplan Center and has been, it's humongous. I used it for my organization's events, you have a terrace, so you have so many different things there. I think that alone, was a huge. That's a big attractions in Greensboro. You see it on Gate City Boulevard.

Courtney Moore: Now, they're explaining a Spartan Village right now. It went from just a pile of dust, and now there's buildings everywhere. That's literally just happened in the past couple of weeks, since we got back from Christmas break. I can't imagine this, I feel like UNCG is about to take over Greensboro, to be honest. They took all the Gate City streets.

Courtney Moore: They're really reaching out to local businesses, and things like that. Having them turn into UNCG pride, and things like that. I think we're going to keep expanding. I feel like our alumni or alumnae that are going into 00:53:00the real world, we're all... I feel like this class that's about to come out, has so much talent, that has so much potential, that has so many connections. It's all going to start getting traced back to UNCG.

Courtney Moore: People are, "Where did you come from?" I gave him UNCG, and it's going to appeal to more students. I know I'm going to tell people to come there. But UNCG's definitely a school, that is for a particular type of person. Don't come here thinking, "Oh okay, it's going to be like, we don't have a football team, we're not that great." Because when it comes down to emotional, spiritual, any type of development besides sports, we're very big on that.

Courtney Moore: I can see UNCG, I don't see us having a football team. But honestly, I don't really even think we need one. I think we're great the way we are. If we had a football team, I think it would probably take away the family vibe, that you get when you walk through campus. I think our cafeteria... that's expanded since I've been here. I forgot about that. I just feel like there's so 00:54:00much stuff to do, that students are going to be like, "What am I supposed to do next?"

Courtney Moore: I think it's still going to be a great school. They're going to still uphold it. I would love for them to have more spaces for students to rent out. When you're trying to plan different events for organizations and stuff, reservation is like a battlefield. There's only two auditoriums you can really rent out for big productions and things like that. I would love to see UNCG, that's a huge problem, I know they're going to fix that soon. I think that's on their radar.

Courtney Moore: Parking, hopefully. We come up with another parking deck, because so many people want to come here, and there's nowhere for everybody to go. I can see them fixing the parking issue. But everything takes time, and everything's a process. But I only see UNCG going in a positive direction. I can never see it back-tracing, go in a negative way. I just see great people coming here, great people coming back.

Courtney Moore: They really care about what the students think. I've had, I think her name is Alexander that came to our SGA meeting. She actually reached 00:55:00out to students and sat down with them, to ask us, "How can we make homecoming better?" Everyone thinks our homecoming isn't that great, but it's because people compare it to A&T, which is across the street. It's not GHOE, Greatest Homecoming on Earth. But that's because UNCG has its own characteristics, it's own cool... we have a bigger crowd to reach out to.

Courtney Moore: They have a lot of cool things planned for next homecoming. They're actually putting students on the board to plan homecoming, because it's our homecoming. So, why is faculty and staff planning it? Now it's students that are planning it. I think that with students' mindsets, the leaders that are doing it, they're going to shut down our entire block next year. Have a huge block party, with food trucks and different things, and stuff like that, and music. They're going to extend it to a whole week, versus three days.

Courtney Moore: Being on homecoming court, I've seen it all, everything that we do. I start with homecoming, one of my suggestions was... because having big time artists like Drake, that's not realistic, or that's a lot to do, having 00:56:00Drake come to our school. UNCG has a lot of talented students here. I said have them open up for the homecoming artist, at the next one. That means more students want to go to the concert, because people will go where their friends are.

Courtney Moore: You can reach out to different crowds that have different talents, and have them come. It's a concert celebrating our students. Then you have your big artist. I think homecoming's about to be great. Because she took one of those suggestions, and I can't wait to come back as an alumnae, and to see how that's going to turn out. Because homecomings more for graduates, people that graduated. But now, they're about to make it for 100% for students, and stuff that. I can't wait, I think it's going in a great direction.

Brittany H.: Well, I don't think I have any more formal questions for you. But did you have anything that you'd like to add about your time here at UNCG, or any other experiences you'd to mention?

Courtney Moore: I feel like I've talked about everything, that I could possibly talk about. Even down to the food here, they're changing that as well. They're 00:57:00about to have different food selection. The cafeteria food is a thousand times better.

Courtney Moore: I guess if I had to give advice to an incoming freshman or even a transfer student, my advice would be to just... that's something I really want to add, to get involved. Not only get involved, get active. I think people tend to forget that a lot. Because I used to sit in the rooms at my meetings like, "Okay, I'm here." to put something on my resume.

Courtney Moore: But, I just really want incoming students, and even the students now, I've been telling people, going through the job application process. "At the end of the day, know what you're in school for. You're in school to be a student." Their job applications now for major jobs, that are asking you for your GPA. If you don't have a 3.0 GPA or higher, they're telling you don't even apply.

Courtney Moore: The next couple of years, are going to be more competitive than that. Just find things to help you stand out, and make the most of your time now. Really use it. The resources are here, the opportunities are here, just 00:58:00take advantage of them. I just really feel like, just do the most you can.

Courtney Moore: Because, when you sit down for an interview, whether you have, "I was in SGA, and all these organizations" on your resume or not, at some point you're going to have to back it up. An employer can sit across from you and tell, were are you really involved, based off what you're saying. I can sit here and elaborate for days, on different events and things like that I've done. Different things like that I implemented, what I've learned. What my struggles were.

Courtney Moore: But if there's someone that just sat in the meeting the whole time, you could say, "It was great, this is our mission statement." Really make yourself, sell yourself, and that starts with a freshman. I wish I really did go to UNCG as a freshman. Who I am today would be different, yes. But I mean, if I could come to college I wish I would of came straight to UNCG. Because my resume would be 30 hundred times longer than it is now.

Courtney Moore: But just really get involved, get active, stay active, and really push yourself, and have an open mind when you come to this university. 00:59:00And really pick UNCG, because you'll love it. Greensboro's not like the best area in the world. There's not a beach or anything around here. But there is a lot to do, and it is changing. It is going to be great.

Courtney Moore: It's the last thing, I just wanted to add.

Brittany H.: Well thank you so much. Those were really great.