February 15, 2023 | Sarah Fetters
Brunch in Wilmington is a hot ticket.
A sold-out brunch crowd visited the Burney Center during UNCW’s Homecoming festivities Saturday. Alumni, faculty, academic programs, buffet lines and a mimosa bar took over the space and filled it with 75 years of Seahawk spirit. It was an ideal start to a day packed from morning to night with alumni connecting, engaging and uniting with UNCW.
“We really wanted this year’s Champagne Brunch to show alumni what is taking place on campus today,” Director of Alumni Engagement Programming Colleen O’Neil said. “Seahawks have an immense amount of pride in UNCW and their degrees. This event lets alumni join with faculty, staff and academic programs, plus see the continual innovation that is taking place within each college. Being able to do that all over a brunch is a perfect start to a Wilmington day.”
All aspects of UNCW were on display in the Burney Center with tables for its four academic colleges as well as the Honors College. This year, campus units and groups joined the event with the Center for Marine Science, Randall Library, Centro Hispano, the Office of Military Affairs, the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA+ Resource Center and the Asian Heritage Cultural Center.
Brooke Lambert (left) and Asher Persin with the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA+ Resource Center.
“It’s great to be here,” Director of the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA+ Resource Center Brooke Lambert said. “This gives us visibility we haven’t had before, especially with our alumni community. For us to be here for our alumni and let them see what we provide helps our center continue to move forward.”
In keeping with the celebration of UNCW’s 75th anniversary, the Office of Military Affairs felt right at home during brunch. Established in 1947 as Wilmington College to provide an educational center for veterans returning from World War II, the institution opened its doors on Sept. 4, 1947, to 238 students.
“Today, UNCW has more than 2,000 military-affiliated students,” United States Air Force veteran and president of the UNCW student veterans’ organization LeAnne Churchill said. “Having the opportunity to be here and represent the Office of Military Affairs and our student organization to the entire alumni population is huge.”
Social Coffee at Champagne Brunch.
This year’s Champagne Brunch added a new element with an alumni-owned business partnering with the event. Social Coffee, owned by Rachel ’14 and Giovanni ’15 Ellzey, provided the morning’s coffee.
“Connection with UNCW can take so many forms,” O’Neil added. “I am so grateful to have gotten to know Rachel and Giovanni and to have them pair with us for this event. Our alumni team has met so many alumni-owned businesses, and we will continue to look for ways to partner with them.”
Whether it was talking to a former classmate, drinking an alumni-owned business’ coffee or visiting with a former professor, all guests could leave Champagne Brunch feeling the true power of UNCW and the Seahawk experience.
“Alumni Champagne Brunch is a great event to attend because it’s family oriented and a time for all of us to connect,” Stephania Bloodworth ’00 said. “I graduated from the Cameron School of Business. Being able to visit its table, learn more about the programs in the school today and connect with professors to tell them about my journey and how they impacted my career is awesome.”
Chancellor Aswani K. Volety and Sammy C. Hawk.
“Brunch brings alumni, students, faculty and staff together in fun and meaningful ways,” Chancellor Aswani K. Volety said. “We always enjoy celebrating the academic, campus life and community connections that make the UNCW experience like no other. It’s about connecting with friends, nostalgic moments and being part of the Seahawk family.”
As the Seahawk alumni family pushes to near 100,000, Champagne Brunch and UNCW’s other Homecoming events seem destined to remain some of the hottest February tickets in town.
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