Graduate Life Fellows continue to build community

Meika Berlan, one of this year’s Graduate Life Fellows (GLF), believes her involvement in the program allows her to give back to UNC Charlotte.

“I chose to become a GLF so I could contribute to the university in a meaningful way,” said Berlan who is pursuing a Ph.D in Public Policy. She is among this year’s Graduate Life Fellows, a program in its eighth year on campus.

“I’ve had a positive experience at UNC Charlotte as a Ph.D student and I wanted to work to ensure that other graduate students also benefited from their graduate experience. As a GLF, I hope to foster an inclusive and engaged graduate community while also providing opportunities for graduate students to learn and grow as both students and professionals,” Berlan continued

UNC Charlotte was the first and remains the only institution in the UNC system to offer a dedicated program like the Graduate Life Fellows to its graduate student body.

Almost 50 applicants applied to be a fellow; the 2015 class was recruited and selected based on their existing set of leadership skills. In addition to Berlan, Graduate Life Fellows (GLFs) are Scott Barber, a master’s candidate in architecture; Myasia Burns, who is pursuing a master’s degree in communication studies; Gabriela Patricia Lopez de Arcia, a master’s degree student in Latin and American Studies; Kristen Reynolds, who is working toward a master’s degree in English; Dahlia Shvets, a master’s candidate in bioinformatics, and Emily Teague-Palmieri, a doctoral student in counselor education and supervision.

Lope de Arcia said she is “thrilled to be part of the GLF team this year. I know this will be a chance to grow in my professional development, but also to provide networking and learning experiences for all fellow graduate students.”

Katherine Hall-Hertel, associate dean of the Graduate School and director of the Center for Graduate Life, stated, “Research suggests that an increased sense of graduate community results in increased graduate student degree completion rates. In an effort intended to build our graduate community, the GLF’s are in the Center for Graduate Life on a daily basis, offering peer advice and acting as a sounding board to help in areas not necessarily covered by students’ advisors, programs or colleges.”

Fellows have numerous leadership opportunities through their collaborative efforts with various campus partners, including faculty, staff and a host of graduate student organizations and other campus offices.

Previous leadership activities have involved graduate student etiquette dinner, a women’s professional business panel, a stress-reduction and wellness event, and a crafts and community event that benefited the Ronald McDonald House; organized recreational outings to local corn mazes, the U.S. National White Water Rafting Center and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

In the past years, GLFs also have offered guidance through first-hand experience, peer mentorship and a wealth of knowledge about campus and the city of Charlotte.

Learn more about the Graduate Life Fellows program on the Web.

Photo (left to right) Myasia Burns, Dahlia Shvets, Scott Barber, Gabriela Patricia Lopez de Arcia, Emily Teague-Palmieri, Meika Berlan and Kristen Reynolds