Scholar profile: Jeremy Felton
Newport, North Carolina
Chemistry major
When Jeremy Felton got the letter telling him he was to be a Carolina Covenant Scholar, he thought how great it was that the new program would pay for a few days in Chapel Hill for summer orientation. But it wasn’t until he actually sat in that session that he heard how the Covenant would change his life.
Did he understand this correctly? Was the Carolina Covenant really going to give him the chance to graduate from UNC without owing anyone a dime?
“The light bulb kind of went on when Ms. Trollinger and Dean Clark explained what it meant to be a Covenant Scholar,” Felton says. “I told my mom that we wouldn’t have to borrow to pay for college. I was excited!”
Without the Covenant, Felton says, he probably could not have gone to college. Four years later, he has earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and headed to Indiana University for graduate school.
“I'm ready to do this new thing," he said. "That's the exciting part for me — to be able to continue studying and learn as much as I can until they make me stop." He wants to earn a doctorate in chemistry, complete a post-doctoral fellowship, and then find a job teaching chemistry at a university.
As a sophomore, Felton began working in a UNC chemistry research lab with Dr. Gary Glish. He helped develop a way to detect which chemicals in the air contribute to smog.
“Research gave me the opportunity to do something outside of class, to do something original and stay within the sciences. I want to teach, so research definitely fits my personality and goals,” Felton says.
The Covenant helped him meet new friends, find a roommate, and form relationships that will last throughout his life. He played alto saxophone in the marching band as a freshman, played intramural basketball, and mentored other minority students. Felton also studied abroad in Spain. A James M. Johnston Scholarship from the University funded Felton’s study abroad and a summer school course in Chapel Hill to complete a prerequisite.
“I'm glad for all the opportunities I've had at Carolina. I’m a first-generation college student. I worked hard. And, I want others in the same situation to know that they can come to Carolina and graduate without owing a lot of money.”
