Meet sophomore Jesse Smith, the Niner 9 chair for the Homecoming Committee. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, she is a data science major. Learn more about Smith’s role in Homecoming, her advice for all Niners and her very active campus life.
What’s your favorite part about being at UNC Charlotte?
My favorite part of attending UNC Charlotte is the endless opportunities available to the student body. In fact, the potential I saw at Charlotte is what drew me to attend. Everytime I read a newsletter or meet someone new, I discover a way to get involved, to challenge myself and to learn something exciting. It’s led me to unique experiences I would not have otherwise seen myself participating in and has helped me develop my confidence and skills a significant amount in a short period of time as well, not to mention helped me build some incredible friendships and professional connections.
What is your role on the Homecoming planning committee, and why did you want to be involved?
I’m currently the Niner 9 Chair for the Homecoming committee, though the position was for “Court Chair” when I applied. I’m responsible for everything related to our student-selected Homecoming representatives, from reading their applications to choosing the sashes, though it's with a significant amount of support from my advisor, Heather Miller. I’ve always admired the Homecoming court, and my curiosity about the back-side of the process instigated me to apply for the position on a whim. I saw it as a chance to become connected with members of the student body I would not meet on a regular basis, as well as work with the Homecoming committee, made up of a diverse mix of staff from across campus. I can honestly say that I did not expect the experience to be as rewarding as it has turned out to be and don’t regret my last-minute decision to apply through NinerEngage.
Can you tell us about the decision to move away from a traditional Homecoming Court and create the Niner 9?
One of the first things I did when being chosen as Court Chair was investigate how other universities conduct their homecoming courts. As I scrolled through Google, I started to notice many schools shifting away from traditional “King” and “Queen” titles toward gender-neutral positions inspired by the school mascot. My idea is certainly not an original one, but Charlotte’s student body is not composed entirely of those who identify with the binary and quite a bit of the feedback received about the court was that it was homogenous and not representative of our most outstanding student leaders. Thus, I was inspired to bring the same changes to Charlotte. By redesigning the Homecoming Court to be unique to our community, rather than following a traditional status quo, we hoped to create an inclusive atmosphere where every member of the Charlotte community felt welcome and encouraged to apply to represent the school.
What is something about Charlotte Homecoming 2021 you want others to know?
Homecoming is for everyone. Even if you have no interest in tailgating or attending the football game, Homecoming is simply about celebrating what you love about our University. Plus, Homecoming isn’t the only week you should celebrate Charlotte! Take the time to attend other events around campus throughout the year and push yourself to meet new people and learn new things about yourself.
Other than Homecoming, what activities have you been involved in at UNC Charlotte?
I’m a member of the Levine Scholars Program and University Honors Program, a proud active member of Chi Omega Fraternity and co-president of the Charlotte Cinemaholics, our on-campus movie club. I also work part-time with Venture Outdoor Leadership, the department on-campus that facilitates outdoor trips and team-building activities and am secretary of the Charlotte Climbing Club. I also am an alum of the Emerging Leaders program, and if I had the time I would be involved in many other organizations that seem interesting.
Beyond helping plan Homecoming, what are some things you like to do in your free time?
If you couldn’t guess from my on-campus involvement, I am a big fan of movies and rock climbing, so those are my most-frequent hobbies. Every evening, my roommates and I try to watch a new movie, and when I need to relax I head to Inner Peaks in South End. I also volunteer weekly at Julia’s Bookstore, a Habitat for Humanity ReStore and am an avid reader. I also love taking my Little on coffee-shop dates, working on my ultimate list of ice cream shop rankings, and facetiming my younger sister in Albuquerque so that she can show me my dogs. If I’m not in my dorm room or in class, you can usually find me on the seventh floor of the library working on an independent writing project or arguing with my friends over the political logistics of children’s shows.
What piece of advice would you give other Niners?
Even though failure is scary, you can never succeed if you never try something new. When you don’t know if it is the right choice or if you can do it, follow your gut and challenge yourself to apply for every opportunity you notice on campus. Join a student organization that you’re interested in, even if you don’t have any experience with the subject matter. Apply for the position that piques your curiosity, even if you’re worried you’re not qualified. Charlotte wants you to succeed; your fellow students and the faculty and staff will do everything in their ability to support you, and their help is capable of empowering you to do incredible things. None of my experiences would have been possible without taking that first step and trying something new and being open to developing those connections, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the things you’re capable of accomplishing.