Only five short months after the official launch of FORevHER Tar Heels, our women student-athletes and our coaches are already starting to see very real impact from the initiative. One of the main goals of FORevHER Tar Heels is to provide additional financial resources to bolster career development and mentoring opportunities for our female student-athletes, and to give our women's sport coaches new resources to enhance their programs in ways they’ve only previously dreamed about. Gifts to the FORevHER Tar Heels Excellence Fund directly support this mission.

We are excited to announce that the following programs applied for and were awarded funding from FORevHER Tar Heels in January: Women’s Soccer, Women’s Lacrosse, Field Hockey and Women’s Fencing. Funded opportunities include a foreign educational tour, a networking trek to New York City, enhanced training technology, and improved practice conditions.

These opportunities support enhanced career development and educational opportunities for our female student-athletes, and our University and department’s constant work to create outstanding experiences for all of our student-athletes – in and outside of competition.

“It has been special to see the outstanding support that has been pledged to our women’s teams through the FORevHER Tar Heels initiative,” says Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “Because funds will be allocated each semester, the Excellence Fund will make an immediate and consistent impact on the experience of our female student-athletes.”

Additionally, FORevHER Tar Heels has kicked off a one-to-one, woman-to-woman mentoring program connecting successful women with our female student-athletes. Participating mentors are dedicated to investing personally, professionally and financially in our female student-athletes.

“I love mentoring our young athletes who have done so much for the school, and who deserve an opportunity equal to their potential,” says Sue Plambeck ’85, mentor and former Carolina swimmer. “I love the idea of developing a network of sponsors who will continue their trajectory. I love coaching our Carolina women on how their experience translates to and is valued in the working world.”

Over 40 women have signed on to serve as mentors in this program for over 40 female student-athletes.

Jules Micchia ’21, a member of Carolina Rowing and student-athlete representative on the FORevHER Tar Heels Advisory board, is one of the student-athletes participating in the program.

“Learning from and being connected with empowering females in the workforce helps set us up for success both in and outside of athletics,” explains Micchia. “Before this program, the network of strong former female Tar Heels and Tar Heel supporters was underutilized, so this program is really groundbreaking, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it. I believe empowered women help empower the next generation of women; this program is doing exactly that, and I am excited to see the results!”

To learn more about FORevHER Tar Heels, visit forevhertarheels.com. To support Carolina’s women student-athletes through the Excellence Fund, click here.