Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship
Thanks to a generous gift from COB alumni Mark (pictured above) & Tracy Copeland, the two-year Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship will give you opportunities to add to your leadership knowledge and understanding of different world views.
What is required?
- Participating in diversity and inclusion-related activities* for four semesters — 15 hours each for the first two semesters and 10 hours each for the last two semesters.
*All activities are subject to the approval of the College’s Diversity and Inclusion Program Coordinator. - Sharing of experiences and tagging the College of Business on the appropriate social media platforms
- Building, scheduling and creating a project that is focused on diversity and inclusion
What you will receive:
- $500 scholarship per semester (during the 2-year fellowship)
- Language on your transcript that designates you as a Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellow
- Special graduation cords issued at graduation
Experiences that will benefit your life & career
- An edge when it comes to being hired and promoted. According to Glassdoor, employers are taking a serious look at investing in diversity and inclusion efforts
- A greater understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the positive impact it has on organizations
- Interaction with individuals who have diverse cultures, ethnicities and lifestyles
- Exposure to different worldviews and different 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 our wider society
- Expanded creativity and problem-solving that will help you improve your employer’s reputation and engage with fellow employees
Stand out and learn more about what makes all of us unique, different and great.
Application period for the Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship is March 2 – May 1 each year.
Questions? Please email Dana Newell, Copeland Director of Diversity and Inclusion for more information.
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. He looks forward to expanding his knowledge in DEI through the Copeland Fellow program.
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, focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for her future career. 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, a Diversity and Inclusion Action Committee Member for the College of Business, and Vice Chair of Marketing and Communication for the Black Student Success Summit. With a commitment to DEI advocacy, 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.” Thanks to her former employer’s DEI initiative, she was able to increase her knowledge of DEI and used their platform to educate her peers on the importance of DEI in the workplace, focusing on topics like Unconscious Bias, Representation is more than Appearance and Celebration of Cultures. The Copeland Fellowship became a new opportunity for Aleshondra to see how she can advocate for DEI in a higher education setting. She currently works for the North Carolina Department of Insurance as an Insurance Consumer Analyst.
Lauren Humann is a sophomore EC Scholar in the College of Business and is pursuing a degree in Entrepreneurship. She is passionate about using human-centered design to help people create memories that will last a lifetime. She has already been able to start making this difference as the character integrity chair for A Moment of Magic, an organization dedicated to creating magical moments for medically vulnerable kids. She is also the alumni relations coordinator for the Honors College Student Council. These extracurriculars have stimulated her curiosity and desire to increase her knowledge about diversity and inclusion. She is excited to use this new knowledge to help everyone around her.
Andrea Knight, from Tarboro, North Carolina is a sophomore at East Carolina University majoring in Business Management and Political Science. Having a strong admiration for bipartisanship, she believes that the best decisions are made from collaborative efforts. In addition to being a part of the Copeland Fellowship, she is also an Honors College student, a recipient of the Business Scholar Award, and a member of the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. Andrea is a third-generation college student and a second-generation business student. With her father holding a degree in Business Administration, the value of a business degree was always ingrained in her. She aspires to work on Capitol Hill as a voice to help rectify political polarization. 
Caitlin Kysar is a sophomore from Morganton, North Carolina pursuing a BS in Hospitality Management concentrated in Special Events along with a minor in Business Administration. Caitlin has a desire to help the disabled community to show the potential of how leadership can be possible for those like her. Caitlin is currently a member of Student Government Association representing the College of Business, a first year Copeland fellow, NAMI member, and peer success coach at the Pirate Academic Success Center. She is currently working on disability forward legislation to pass in SGA and a community service project aiming toward donating Lego sets to hospitalized children at the children’s hospital in Greenville.
Kadyn Pleasants is one of the new Copeland Fellows. She is a sophomore at ECU, studying Business Management with a minor in Fashion Merchandising. After graduation, she plans to open her own business. Kadyn was born and raised in Charlotte, NC but has always seen Greenville, NC is home too. Kadyn is active in her sorority on campus, Alpha Omicron Pi. She currently serves as the Apparel Chair. She loves to travel. Her favorite place she has been is Punta Cana because of the clear water and water adventures offered. Through the Copeland Fellowship, she hopes to gain leadership knowledge and a better understanding of different world views that will assist her with her future career. Kadyn’s dream job would be as an interior designer. She plans to get her real estate license in the near future to be able to do both selling and designing. Kadyn is looking forward to a great year of education, friendships, and new opportunities.
Tiphany Watson, a marketing major at East Carolina University. Tiphany is a junior from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Growing up she always had a passion for school. Her favorite subject has always been mathematics because numbers are mesmerizing to her. Tiphany loves to come up with her own solutions which allows her to help her fellow peers when asked. A few of Tiphany’s hobbies includes listening to music, cooking and reading. She loves to find new recipes online or in cookbooks. Sometimes she likes to try these new things to step out of her comfort zone just a little. Her all-time favorite hobby is reading books. The Copeland Fellowship offers her experience with other cultures. She believes this will help tremendously with a future career in marketing. It has always been a dream of hers to travel. The fellowship will provide valuable insights for traveling, experiencing other cultures, and having a successful career in marketing.
Jonathan Coleman is a dedicated student athlete at East Carolina University majoring in Management Information Systems. He has a burning desire to help uplift the underserved community. He is a member of the football team, the Black Student Athlete Organization, Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society, Copeland fellow, and serves as vice-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Jonathan is motivated to create a non-profit organization that teaches information systems to less privileged teens and young adults.
Aurora Shafer is a junior from Orlando, Florida pursuing a BS in Entrepreneurship with a minor in Disability Studies. Aurora’s professional goal is to work with businesses to make employment accessible to all Neurodivergent people by transforming hiring practices, redesigning work environments, and educating employers. She is an EC Scholar, a member of the Honors College, and belongs to the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Aurora is a founding member and the current President of ECU’s Autistic Students Alliance as well as a member of ECU’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization. She is an eNC Innovates Fellow, a fellowship offered by ECU’s Honors College Innovation Design Lab in partnership with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, as well as a Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellow, a fellowship offered by ECU’s College of Business.
Grant Smith is a Junior in theHonors College from Wake Forest, NC double majoring in entrepreneurship and business marketing. He has always had an interest in being an entrepreneur because starting small businesses can make a good difference in the world. He recently won the 4th ECU Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge for a medical business start-up, along with $25,000 in prizes. Grant’s business interest began 5 years ago when he launched a landscaping business as a sophomore in high school. He is still pursuing his second start-up and hopes the product will take a large step forward by the end of 2021. He aspires to become a serial entrepreneur.
Evelyn Gonzalez is a current junior at East Carolina University, majoring in Accounting. She believes being active in the community is essential to increasing her knowledge and understanding of others. Evelyn is currently part of the Honors College, Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Amexcan, and Rotaract Club. Evelyn has previously interned at the North Carolina Business Committee of Education at the Governor’s Office and RISE29. Currently, she interns at SAS, a Software Analytics Company in Cary, NC, as an Accounting Year-round Intern. Where she helps manage their general ledger accounts. She hopes to one day become a CPA and continue working in tech. As a CPA, she hopes to inspire other minorities to follow this career path and be a mentor for someone one day.