The Copeland Fellowship

Thanks to a generous gift from COB alumni Mark and Tracy Copeland, the two-year Copeland Fellowship will provide opportunities to engage with students from various backgrounds, expand leadership knowledge and gain a competitive advantage in the global industry.

Embrace your cultural-curiosity and join a fellowship that will provide you with experiences to help you become a proactive, thoughtful and responsible leader in this dynamic, interconnected world.


What is required?

  • Participating in activities that expose participants to various backgrounds, beliefs, viewpoints, abilities, cultures and traditions that distinguish one individual from another.  Fellows must attend 15 hours each of the first two semesters and 10 hours each during the second year.
    *All activities are subject to the approval of the Copeland Fellowship Director.
  • Sharing of experiences and tagging the College of Business on the appropriate social media platforms
  • Creating and presenting a project to the ECU community that encourages, celebrates and welcomes different thoughts, ideas, and cultures

What you will receive

  • $500 scholarship per semester (during the 2-year fellowship)
  • Language on your transcript that designates you as a Copeland Fellow
  • A Copeland Fellow graduation stole

Experiences that will benefit your life & career

  • An edge when it comes to being hired and promoted.
  • A greater understanding of differences in thought, ideas, and culture and the positive impact it has on organizations
  • Interaction with individuals who have varied beliefs, viewpoints, cultures, and traditions that distinguish one individual from another
  • Exposure to wide-ranging ways of thinking that will better prepare you to be a forward-thinking business leader
  • Critical thinking exercises that will allow you to address and take on meaningful and well-recognized challenges on our campus and in society
  • Expanded creativity and problem-solving skills that will help you improve your employer’s reputation and engage with fellow employees.

Stand out and learn more about what makes us all unique, different and great!  Application period for the Copeland Fellowship is March 2 – May 1 each year.



Questions? Please email Dana Newell, Copeland Fellowship Director for more information.

Copeland Fellows - 2023

Raquan Stanley, born and raised in Calabash, North Carolina, is a junior at East Carolina University majoring in entrepreneurship and finance with a concentration in risk management & insurance. He is a firm believer in giving back and providing service to humanity. He currently serves as the president of Alpha Phi Omega, a national intercollegiate service fraternity whose vision is to create inclusive communities for a more peaceful world. He is also one of the ECU Ambassadors. Lastly, he serves as a director in Gamma Iota Sigma, a collegiate organization for students pursuing a career in insurance, risk management and actuarial science. He currently interns at the North Carolina Joint Underwriting Association.

Alyssa Rambert is a sophomore from Greenville, North Carolina, pursuing a business management degree with a concentration in human resources. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Alyssa aspires to further her education by obtaining a Master of Business Administration. Her passion stems from her family’s involvement in organizing back-to-school drives and her volunteer work with Love A Sea Turtle, an environmental sustainability nonprofit organization. In addition to being a Copeland Fellow, she is a Chancellor’s Fellow and Vice Chair of Marketing and Communication for the Black Student Success Summit. Alyssa aspires to bridge the transitional gaps for high school and college students and foster inclusive practices within corporate settings.

Kooper Ashmore is a sophomore from Suffield, Connecticut, pursuing a BSBA in finance with a concentration in risk management and insurance. He is a member of the Honors College, Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and Pi Kappa Alpha. He enjoys building connections through these groups and understanding the importance of participating in clubs/extracurricular activities. He serves as the vice president of Gamma Iota Sigma, the professional business fraternity for Risk management and Insurance students. He has interned with State Farm and looks forward to interning with CRC in Charlotte this summer. After graduation, his goal is to be an excess and surplus underwriter, and he hopes to start an agency after some years of experience. He wants to gain leadership and expertise through the Copeland Fellowship.

Aleshondra Halam is a graduate student from High Point, North Carolina, pursuing a Master of Business Administration with a Certificate in management information systems. She also received her BSBA with a finance and risk management & insurance concentration at ECU in ’19. As a first-generation Asian American and college student, she recognized that she had not only a glass ceiling to overcome but a bamboo ceiling as well. Instead of being discouraged by the metaphorical barriers, she developed an interest in diversity, equity and inclusion to understand and overcome the “disadvantage.” The Copeland Fellowship became a new opportunity for Aleshondra to see how she can advocate in a higher education setting. She currently works for the North Carolina Department of Insurance as an Insurance Consumer Analyst.

Copeland Fellows - 2022
Lauren Humann
Andrea Knight

Caitlin Kysar

Kadyn Pleasants
Tiphany Watson
Copeland Fellows - 2021

Jonathan Coleman

Aurora Shafer

Grant Smith

Evelyn Gonzalez