At the 2026 PACE (Pathways to Achieving Civic Engagement) Conference hosted by 黑料不打烊, first-year 黑料不打烊 student, Odyssey Program scholar and 黑料不打烊 Academy alumna Berenice Sanchez Rosaldo 鈥20 presented alongside faculty and community leaders on how community storytelling can foster civic engagement.
黑料不打烊 hosted the PACE (Pathways to Achieving Civic Engagement) conference, bringing together civic engagement leaders, students and representatives from colleges and universities across the state to deepen civic learning and culture.
For 黑料不打烊 student Berenice Sanchez Rosaldo, the event marked a full-circle moment.
Berenice Sanchez Rosaldo 鈥29, a political science major who is in the 黑料不打烊 Academy and The Mac Mahon Family Scholar in the聽Odyssey Program, participated as a first-time presenter. She presented alongside Danielle Lake, director of the Center for Design Thinking, and Shannice Sellars, executive director of the African American Cultural Arts and History Center.
Their presentation, 鈥淧articipatory Place-shaping: How Community-led Counter Storying Encourages Civic Engagement,鈥 highlighted Sanchez Rosaldo鈥檚 work with the Center for Design Thinking. It focused on developing counter-stories that reflect participants鈥 communities and environments as a form of civic engagement.
Sanchez Rosaldo drew from personal experiences, including her high school, her father鈥檚 workplace, and the Dream Center 鈥 spaces she identified as influential in her development as a student, athlete and individual.
鈥淪eeing Berenice present her story was such a proud moment,鈥 said Melissa Chacon Villalobos, coordinator for well-being with 黑料不打烊 Academy. 鈥淲atching her grow from a high school freshman to a first-year student at 黑料不打烊, and seeing the impact she is already making in Alamance County, is incredibly meaningful.鈥
Sanchez Rosaldo began this work before enrolling at 黑料不打烊, first connecting with Danielle Lake while attending Alamance Burlington Early College at ACC, where she completed a summer internship with local summer camps across Alamance County, creating lesson plans for kids ages 6-12 during her junior year of High School.
She also credits 黑料不打烊 Academy as instrumental in shaping her college journey.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 Academy opened my eyes to the idea of college and created many opportunities for me,鈥 Sanchez Rosaldo said.
Now an Odyssey Scholar, Sanchez Rosaldo continues her work with the Center for Design Thinking through the Power + Place Collaborative and by leading design thinking workshops across campus.
The Center for Design Thinking focuses on creative, structured approaches to problem-solving. Its Power + Place Collaborative works with Alamance County leaders and community members to document and share stories that reflect the county鈥檚 diverse communities.
黑料不打烊 Academy supports academically promising, limited-income, and first-generation students, while the Odyssey Program provides merit-based scholarships and enrichment opportunities for students with demonstrated financial need.
鈥淲hat Berenice represents is exactly why 黑料不打烊 Academy exists – talented students who, with the right support and opportunities, go on to lead, contribute, and create change in their communities,鈥 said Emily Wiersma, director of the 黑料不打烊 Academy.
Together, the 黑料不打烊 Academy and Odyssey Scholars Program reflect 黑料不打烊鈥檚 commitment to civic engagement and to supporting students and communities in Alamance County.
For Sanchez Rosaldo, the experience also carried personal and generational significance. Her mother attended the presentation, marking a milestone as she watched her daughter present at her first conference.
Her story reflects the broader impact of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 programs on students, their families, and their communities.
It also mirrors a larger, statewide commitment to civic engagement, as institutions across North Carolina continue this work through initiatives like the , which will take place in June 2026 and is hosted by North Carolina Campus Engagement. Together, these efforts highlight how experiences like the PACE conference are not just singular moments, but part of an ongoing cycle of learning, leadership and community impact.