A message from Chancellor Guskiewicz: Lessons from Laurie Hernandez

Dear Carolina Community,

On Wednesday, I went with my wife and daughter to hear Olympic medalist Laurie Hernandez give the keynote lecture for Carolina’s celebration of Latinx Heritage Month. She was fantastic, telling stories about the intense world of gymnastics training, winning Dancing with the Stars and reflecting on the role her family played in lifting her to the highest levels of American sports.

Hernandez’s words about mental health hit home for me in a particularly profound way. She described anxiety as feeling like Han Solo in Star Wars, frozen in carbonite, unable to move. The fear of failure can be overwhelming when you’re representing your community and your country. Here is what she said about fear: “I hate being called ‘fearless’ because it’s false….what I do like is ‘brave.’ I can tell you right now I’m going to be scared. But what’s even better is I’m going to take this fear, and I’m going to do it anyways. I’m going to let it be there. We’re going to do it together.”

What made the talk so inspiring — and the reason I’m glad so many students and my daughter, who is also a gymnast, were in the audience — is that she turned fear on its head. She didn’t try to force anxiety or fear away. She saw it as a sign of her deep devotion to gymnastics, to school, to her family and to her role in representing the Latinx community on the world stage. She, along with her other teammates, faced injuries and heartbreak. But they had the courage to embrace their fears and disappointments, and they also highlighted the importance of the mental health and well-being of our athletes. With the support of her friends, family and the world, she discovered new sources of strength.

The Latinx community was one of those sources of strength for Hernandez, and through the Carolina Latinx Center, the community has supported each other here at Carolina as well. It was a privilege to be part of the celebration.

Next week is a big week for our University. On Oct. 12, we’ll celebrate the 229th anniversary of Carolina’s founding, which marked the beginning of public higher education in the United States. This year we’ll be showcasing some of our brilliant faculty researchers and the undergraduate students who work with them, highlighting Carolina’s role as a beacon of discovery and progress in the world. It’s always an inspiring day, and I hope you’ll join us at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Memorial Hall.

Sincerely,

Kevin M. Guskiewicz
Chancellor