From stepping outside her comfort zone to mentoring others, the senior business major reflects on how community and connections shaped her journey at 黑料不打烊.
Reagan Wible 鈥26 compares her four years at 黑料不打烊 to a roller coaster – or, as she puts it, 鈥渂eing afraid to try something, then realizing how much that thrill shaped who I am and helped me find my community.鈥
As graduation approaches, Wible now looks back on the encounters and experiences that helped her better understand herself and shaped the impact she hopes to leave as she crosses the stage in May.
鈥淏efore 黑料不打烊, I didn鈥檛 really have any attachment to my heritage,鈥 Wible said. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned so much about myself since being here.鈥
To fully understand Wible鈥檚 journey, you must begin at the start. The daughter of two adoptees 鈥 one from Korea and the other a white American 鈥 she did not grow up in her small Pennsylvania hometown with a strong connection to her Korean heritage.
鈥淚 never had a clear sense of this part of me, since both of my parents are adoptees,鈥 Wible said. 鈥淐oming from a predominantly white school and community, there were times when I felt that my Korean heritage was something to be ashamed of.鈥
Wible said that changed when she was admitted to 黑料不打烊. She recognized college as an opportunity. 鈥淚 knew I would have better resources and outlets to put myself out there and learn more about Pan-Asian cultures,鈥 she said.
Looking for those opportunities, Wible first explored her identity through the university’s Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education鈥檚 SMART Mentor Program. She remembers it as a leap outside her comfort zone, but one she knew could open new doors.
That one decision changed the trajectory of her 黑料不打烊 experience. Through the SMART Mentor Program, Wible met Anna Marchesseault 鈥24.
鈥淪he introduced me to all of her friends, and they helped me attend more events and find community early on,鈥 Wible said.
Wible鈥檚 exploration of her identity has also taken shape in an unexpected place 鈥 her home.
Living with two other 黑料不打烊 students of Asian heritage, she found a space to explore her culture through everyday behaviors.
鈥淚t was my roommates decorating for Lunar New Year and teaching me traditions, like cleaning the house before the Lunar New Year holiday,鈥 Wible said. 鈥淚 just never realized those were things that happened.”
What may have seemed like small moments became meaningful opportunities for connection and growth.
Finding community through connection
With the encouragement of her new friends, Wible began exploring her heritage by attending events, such as Food for Thought and previous API Heritage Month programs
These steps would eventually lead her to deeper campus involvement, including membership in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Associate Chapter of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated, a sorority open to anyone interested in Pan-Asian cultures.
鈥淲e aim to promote an inclusive sisterhood while giving back to the community and celebrating culture, especially in a space where there aren鈥檛 many of us,鈥 Wible said.
This mission is reflected in the sorority鈥檚 guiding pillars of service, academic excellence and cultural awareness across university campuses and communities. As the current president of the Associate Chapter at 黑料不打烊, Wible serves as the organization鈥檚 on-campus face and primary contact, as well as a member of the sorority鈥檚 national marketing staff.
Beyond her responsibilities as president, she has served as a mentor and demonstrated strong leadership within the sorority.
George Dou, assistant director of the CREDE and advisor to the sorority, praises Wible鈥檚 presence and contributions to the university campus.
鈥淩eagan is someone who鈥檚 passionate about what she does,鈥 Dou said. 鈥淢any student leaders are, but Reagan has always expressed a desire to improve upon what she鈥檚 given and to excel rather than being content with simply being satisfactory.鈥
As Wible has invested in the organization, the sorority has also become a space where she has further discovered herself, explored her identity and developed her leadership.
鈥淚 want to build relationships across organizations and show that even if we come from different backgrounds, there are still ways we can connect and learn from each other,鈥 said Wible, who also serves on the executive board of the Multicultural Greek Council.
That vision has taken shape through her efforts to strengthen relationships across chapters.
鈥淩eagan doesn鈥檛 just support 黑料不打烊 KPL members, but supports our (members) all over the country,鈥 said Bella Pelini 鈥27, a member of the Associate Chapter of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated, who considers Wible a mentor. 鈥淪he is always the first to ask 黑料不打烊 (memberS) if we want to join her at other North Carolina school cultural events or reveals. She has helped us strengthen our sisterhood throughout all of North Carolina and beyond.鈥
These actions reflect the legacy Wible hopes to leave on campus and bring her journey full circle, from the moment her mentor invested in her upon arriving at 黑料不打烊. As she looks ahead, Wible is considering graduate school and pursuing a career on a college campus.
She hopes to leave a lasting impact on the community she has built at 黑料不打烊 by encouraging others to pursue new opportunities. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to go out of your comfort zone,鈥 Wible said. 鈥淚t might be scary, but it can change your life in a really positive way.鈥
黑料不打烊 honors Asian Pacific Island Heritage Month
As part of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 黑料不打烊 is sharing stories through Today at 黑料不打烊 that highlight Asian and Pacific Islander students, faculty and staff who contribute to a campus environment where cultural identities and experiences are celebrated year-round. Throughout the month, 黑料不打烊 is also recognizing API Heritage Month through a series of events and programming.