NC Education Corps members are committed to supporting the whole child. In addition, members are trained on how to connect with students— a small act of kindness can significantly impact North Carolina schools’ students. 

When Owen Stegall heard that his hometown high school in Newton-Conover, NC, needed tutors to support students in 2021 as a response to COVID-19, his decision to join the NC Education Corps was a no-brainer.

Even though Owen, the son of two educators and a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, isn’t majoring in education, the field has played a significant role in his personal and professional development. He previously served as a high school tutor and is currently developing an application to connect students to colleges that best suit their needs. These experiences have fueled his interest in the corps and his constant desire to give back to his community.  

Corps Member Experience

Within the corps, Owen serves as a tutor/mentor and ensures that students don’t feel overlooked tackling school during the pandemic, in addition to providing academic support. “I just want [students] to know they have a resource…A lot of them feel alienated, and I want them to know that there is someone out there who can help them…and just try to help them solve their problem, whether it be academic or not.”

One tutoring session stands out to Owen as he recalled a student who had a tough time engaging at the beginning of their session, but by the end, his spirits were lifted as he felt supported and heard. “I didn’t do much academic tutoring that [session]… Just knowing that he had someone who he could reach out to, who he could talk to, really made him feel heard and made him feel seen.”

More about Owen

Owen Stegall is a Computer Science and Political Science double major currently attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Owen’s favorite teacher was “Mr. Allen, as he was the best teacher I had in terms of showcasing how everything related to each other in terms of Calculus. He incredibly simplified such a difficult topic.” 

Where Owen has volunteered in the past: Project Lead, UNC Computer Science + Social Good.

Why Owen is Passionate about NC Education Corps: “I love helping others, so giving back the community I grew up in feels like a great way to take advantage of my current situation as I am attending college remotely.”

Why Owen thinks you should join the NC Education Corps: “Being a part of [NC] Ed Corps has allowed me to see the different experiences that people have…There are students who have younger siblings to take care of or jobs to support their family.”