CAHSS Students at N.C. A&T Return from Summer Experiences That Shaped Their Futures

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Aug. 25, 2026) – As students begin the fall semester at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, many in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) are returning with more than memories from summer break. Through competitive programs and professional opportunities across the country, they conducted research, completed legal training, served their communities and achieved creative success.

This summer, classrooms gave way to courtrooms, research labs, newsrooms, theaters and government offices as CAHSS students put their education into practice at nationally recognized institutions across the country.

“Our students, faculty and staff demonstrate the value of an arts, humanities and social science education and the myriad ways that knowledge gained here underpins and strengthens enterprise,” said CAHSS Dean Shannon B. Campbell, Ph.D.

For rising junior political science honors student Madelyn McFall, that meant researching food policy through Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic as a participant in the Harvard W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Program. Her work examined nutrition incentive programs and their role in expanding access to healthy foods.

That intersection of policy and law continued with two rising senior pre-law students. Honors College student Morgan Best interned with the Carolina Migrant Network, supporting attorneys who represent those in detention centers and removal proceedings through legal research, court filings and public education efforts. Michelle Cartwright prepared for law school through the Council on Legal Education Opportunity’s Achieving Success in the Application Process program, strengthening her legal analysis, critical thinking and time management while learning from attorneys, admissions professionals and legal educators.

Research continued for criminal justice doctoral students Erick Lee Boyd and Nia Weems, who participated in Prairie View A&M University’s National Science Foundation-funded Excellence in Research Summer Institute for Secondary Data Analysis. Boyd examined historically Black college and university (HBCU) students’ understanding of HIV disclosure requirement laws and how those perspectives shape views of risk and responsibility.

Science and research reporting took rising mass media production senior Chloe A. Parker and Department of Journalism and Mass Communication alumnus Richard Fuller ‘26 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where they began their yearlong Knight Science Journalism Program HBCU Fellowships. The fellowships continue throughout the 2026-27 academic year, providing training, mentorship and professional development in science and research reporting.

Public service provided another avenue for experiential learning. First-year political science student Kaleb Lucas interned with Virginia House of Delegates member Virgil Thornton Sr., supporting constituent outreach, community engagement and local government initiatives while gaining firsthand experience in public service.

Students in the arts also spent the summer building their craft. Rising professional theatre senior Christina Brielle Robinson served as an education intern at Nashville Children’s Theatre, teaching young actors, assisting with choreography and supporting educational programming while preparing for her first Equity repertory role. Incoming visual arts design student Adriyana “Aspen” Hamilton completed Central Piedmont Community College’s Summer Bridge Program, earning college credits while preparing to begin her studies at N.C. A&T.

“Our deep and unwavering commitment to experiential education prepares CAHSS students to excel,” said Campbell. “Students learn from renowned practitioners, artists, and activists with a collective goal, leading students to a place where excellence and enterprise converge. We live our mantra: one college, moving in one direction, full steam ahead.”