Rising Stars: Meet Liv Stricker of Chapel Hill, NC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liv Stricker.

Hi Liv, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My life has had its fair share of pain and heartache – but I want to focus on all the amazing parts that got me to where I am today. I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. My parents are incredible and raised me to be strong, independent, and resilient. Though my parents did a wonderful job of sheltering me from the realities of our financial situation, it was no secret that we were far from well-off.
My childhood home was in a good neighborhood, but a rough part of town. My parents didn’t want me to go to the school we were zoned for, so my mom would drive two towns over to a charter school for 1st-8th grade. She couldn’t always pay for the gas to get home and back in time for pick-up, so she would stay in the school parking lot filling out job applications or volunteer inside when she could.
The school itself was phenomenal, and I will always be thankful to my family for the hard work it took to enroll me. Socrates Academy is a Greek immersion school in the better part of Charlotte, where I learned Greek, Spanish, and Mandarin; fell in love with mathematics; and became obsessed with soccer and basketball.
Fast forward to senior year of high school: I never thought I would go to college – it was too expensive, even if I did get in. I had an apprenticeship lined up in Orlando, Fl as a motorcycle mechanic and I was fine with that. But then, I was nominated as a Questbridge scholar. This opportunity allowed me to apply for some of the nation’s top universities without an application fee. Couple that with Free College Application Week, and I applied to thirteen schools.
Eight rejections humbled me, and four acceptance letters with generous financial aid packages that still weren’t remotely enough reaffirmed my plans to move down the coast.
Then, I heard from UNC Chapel Hill. To my surprise, I was accepted. I was excited, but still had no intention of taking out so many student loans…but then, I got the letter that changed my life.
I’ll never forget when I opened the email that said, “Congratulations, You’re a Carolina Covenant Scholar!” Thirty seconds into reading the text, I learned that my entire college education was taken care of. I ran to my mother and we cried for longer than I’d like to admit.
We visited the campus for the first time shortly thereafter, and I was head over Heels (buh-dum-tss). I committed that day.
My four undergraduate years were spent learning and working and engaging in high-impact opportunities that I wasn’t aware even existed. I made incredible friends, worked with phenomenal mentors, and found my place in higher education (I started as pre-med, but we won’t get into that lol).
I knew Carolina was my home the second I stepped foot onto campus; and nearly a decade later, I still wouldn’t rather be anyplace else.
Now, I work for Carolina Covenant as a Student Support and Programs Specialist. I get to support underserved college students and share my experiences with them in hopes that it helps, even a little. I will stay with the Carolina Covenant Scholars Program as long as they’ll have me. In the meantime, I am enrolled in online night classes at Appalachian State University and will graduate with my Masters Degree in Higher Education this summer. I hope to enroll in their doctoral program shortly thereafter.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Heck no! So much as happened, and I’ve honestly blocked out a lot of it…My therapist and I are working on that lol. Some of these, in no particular order, include:

– growing up in poverty
– addict father
– immigrant mother
– first-generation college student
– woman of color/passing white
– two sexual assaults
– thirteen concussions
– over two dozen close family/friend deaths
– COVID (woof)
– sister tried to have my involuntarily committed for trying to leave my family upon a disagreement
– brief homelessness
– my own experiences abusing sex, drugs, and alcohol
– Bipolar II disorder, anxiety, and depression that was all untreated until my senior year of college (~2022)

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I serve as Carolina Covenant’s Student Support and Programs Specialist. I work closely with Carolina Covenant Scholars – all are low-income college students, and most come from underserved backgrounds (first-generation college students, people of color, etc.). I engage with students, host events, and supervise the best undergraduate interns and volunteers ever.

I am most proud of my ability to enter every conversation with a student with a posture of empathy. I’ve been in these students’ shoes recently, and have a lot of overlap with lived-experiences and identities. I appreciate that we can connect as such a high level.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Fake it til you make it! I have always been super shy and timid, and self advocacy never came easily for me. I encourage every single person to force yourself to be brave and bold and stand up for yourself in spaces where you want to grow. Don’t be afraid to ask for help – the worst that can happen is that someone says “no” and you have to try again.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.artonaverage.com/
• Instagram: @livstricker