The local chapter of Fayetteville State Bronco alumni is having its annual Roundup and Sendoff later this month which serves as a way to reconnect with fellow graduates and to wish current students luck as they continue – or begin – their studies at the Fayetteville school.

Alumnae Tannis Jenkins and Katrina Tunstall were guests on Monday’s TownTalk and shared details of the event, which will begin at 2 p.m. on July 23 at Fox Pond Park Shelter 1.

There will be food, fun and fellowship, and FSU alums from the four-county area are encouraged to RSVP Jenkins at 252.213.5977.

“This is a good way for the students who are going to FSU for the first time to connect with people in the area,” Jenkins said. It’s important for college students to have a support system, especially when they may be away from home for the first time.

Current students who attend the July 22 Roundup can learn more about the chapter’s scholarship, which Tunstall said is open to anyone in the four-county area. It is awarded each spring for the upcoming semester.

Students that find themselves in financial straits during the semester can reach out to anyone in the chapter – whether they need some help with purchasing books or other school-related items, the chapter is a resource.

“That’s our goal – to help kids…be successful at Fayetteville State,” Tunstall said.

They have reactivated a mentorship program to connect local alums with current students; mentors keep in touch with students to make sure they have what they need and don’t fall through the cracks as they continue their studies.

The alumni chapter also participates in community events like parades, she said, and work with admissions reps when they meet locally with high school students who may be interested in the school.

Both Jenkins and Tunstall graduated from FSU as transfer students.

Tunstall said her college experience began at Xavier University in New Orleans, but she found it wasn’t a good fit for her.

“Fayetteville State was just the right size, the right distance from home,” she added.

Jenkins concurs. “It was very nurturing,” she said, and it helped her on her career path that led her to school counseling in several N.C. counties, including Vance and Warren.

Fayetteville State is “like a small town in a big city,” she said.

Learn more about Fayetteville State University at https://www.uncfsu.edu/.

CLICK PLAY!