Need 2 Lead

On May 14 – 17, the Office of Admissions welcomed our second class of students for our annual Need 2 Lead (N2L) program. N2L is a an intense leadership weekend created and organized by the UNCW Office of Admissions and is designed for action-oriented rising high school juniors who want to make a difference in their communities. The program aims to enhance the students’ leadership skills and help them establish a community service project of their choice. One hundred and fifty students were nominated and 15 students and 5 UNCW mentors were selected to participate by an application process.


Each participant was assigned to a UNCW mentor for the weekend experience and the academic school year following the program. Students and mentors attended leadership workshops which included conflict resolution, self esteem, public speaking, fundraising, networking and many more! On Friday, we participated in a low outdoors course. During the course, we learned that each of our participants and UNCW student mentors had many different leadership qualities but all contributed to the challenges, creating an instant N2L team. We also had the opportunity to practice our networking skills at a business social and let loose on the dance floor afterwards… yes even the admissions staff can learn a few dance moves! The program ended with a closing ceremony that included the N2L students, their families, UNCW mentors and staff, some of the leadership presenter and even guest speaker Mayor Bill Saffo. Many of the N2L students are interested in returning to UNCW and have asked for a N2L reunion at next years leadership symposium.

The 15 students chosen for N2L were not only are they the top students in their high schools, but many of them are more involved in their communities than I ever imagined being when I was their age not too long ago. They dance, they sing, they act and more importantly, they are completely aware of the world outside of their home. These students are rising stars and UNCW looks forward to working with them throughout the following year.

If you are interested in becoming part of N2L next spring, please visit the Need 2 Lead website for more information.

Meet the staff

Welcome to the start of another warm Seahawk summer! Like the seasons in Wilmington, the latest “need to know” information from the UNCW Office of Admissions is always changing. We hope that this blog allows you to keep track of where we are in the admissions process, where our counselors are on the road near your schools, and what our current Seahawks are excelling in on and off campus.


We would like to take this opportunity to introduce the UNCW First Year Admissions staff. This Seahawk staff will be connecting with you throughout the year.

Director of Admissions: Jan Rockwell

Jan serves as the admissions counselor for all students in the New England states. She received her B.A. in French and Secondary Education from Gettysburg College followed by a M.Ed. in Guidance and Psychological Services from Springfield College. Jan is a great leader and is our office’s biggest cheerleader. The one thing Jan struggles with is Ping Pong. She proudly displays her SECOND place trophy in the office that she once lost in a bet of Ping Pong talents.

Associate Director of Admissions: Marcio Moreno

Marcio serves as the admissions counselor for all students in the Eastern portion of North Carolina. Marcio is originally from Panama where he received a M.A. in English as a Second Language from Universidad Autonoma de Chiriquí. His second M.A. is in Spanish from our very own UNC Wilmington. In his so called “spare” time, Marcio serves as a UNCW instructor for introductory Spanish courses where he joins the ranks of other friendly and helpful professors.

Assistant Director of Admissions: Camille Morgan

Camille serves as the admissions counselor for our students in the Northeastern part of the United States; more specifically, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Camille is one of Wilmington’s finest; born, raised and educated in our town. She enjoyed the UNCW energy and sense of community so much, that after finishing her B.S. in Business Administration she decided to work for her Alma Mater.

Assistant Director of Admissions: Mr. Keryn Vickers

Keryn serves as the admissions counselor for students in the Northern and South Central portions of North Carolina (Fayetteville, Durham, etc.). Keryn received his M.A. in Recreation and Sports Management from Indiana State University. Although Keryn is not originally from Wilmington, he has enjoyed being a part of the unique blend of dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators at UNCW.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Hannah Brown

Hannah serves as the admissions counselor for students in the Western portion of North Carolina. Hannah moved to Wilmington from Boone, the same area she now travels and recruits from. She received her B.A. in English from UNCW and although we have a few less hills and are a little lacking in the mountain department, Hannah is proud to call UNCW her home and Alma Mater.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator/International Recruitment: Linda Byrnes

Linda serves as the admissions counselor for students from the Southeastern states of the United States and for students outside of the United States. Linda received her B.S. in Sociology from Georgia Southern University, and is currently working on her Master's in Liberal Studies at UNCW. Linda’s interest and involvement with the Office of International Programs has helped to contribute to the fulfillment of a UNCW’s Strategic Goal: to create an educational environment that prepares our students to be global citizens.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Laura Moore

Laura serves as the admissions counselor for the Piedmont area of North Carolina (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, etc.) She received her B.A. in Communication Studies and a minor in Leadership Studies from UNCW in 2005. Laura is one of three advisers for the UNCW Student Ambassadors organization. The Ambassadors help with campus tours, visitation days, and a variety of other events on campus. The Ambassadors are Laura’s “children”… all 60 of them.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Larry Pakowski

Larry serves as the admissions counselor for the Mid-Atlantic region for the United States- specifically, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, and West Virginia. He finished his B.A. in Communication Studies in three years from UNCW. Larry loves to proudly recall his days as the UNCW mascot, “Sammy C. Hawk”, and continues to be a part of UNCW Athletics by announcing for a variety of our NCAA Division 1 sports.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Lauren Scott

Lauren serves as the admissions counselor for the greater Wilmington area. She finished her B.A. in Psychology, and is currently working on a Master of Public Administration, both from UNCW. Lauren serves as our link to the UNCW Alumni Association, being an active member on the UNCW Alumni Board of Directors. Although Lauren has no formal training, her Ping Pong skills are to be reckoned with… ask Jan.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Alex Wadsworth

Alex serves as the admissions counselor for the Capital area of North Carolina; Wake and Orange counties. He is the newest UNCW Alumni in the office, proudly holding the “rookie of the year” title all year long. He finished his B.A. in History with UNCW in 2008. Alex was very involved with the UNCW community as a student, his role as an on campus Resident Assistant topping his list. Alex is excited to see current students, his past residents included, pushing the student involvement to record numbers with over 200 student led organizations. One of Alex’s goal before next academic year is to begin a club Ping Pong team for UNCW; it is one of his newest passions… since the win.

If you find yourself with questions or comments, we encourage you to join in on the conversation. Welcome to our Seahawk family, and welcome to our blog.