Feature Student: Cory Spencer

Cory is pictured in the middle

Hi! My name is Cory Spencer, and I’m a sophomore majoring in Neurobiology and Global Studies, with a minor in German. I’m originally from Lincoln, Massachusetts, and my family moved to Winston-Salem, NC right before I began high school. Some of my hobbies include swimming, camping, traveling, and skiing. On campus, I enjoy working in my professor’s biopsychology lab as well as helping out with UNC’s Habitat for Humanity Chapter. This semester, I was able to help organize and participate in UNC’s first ever Carolina Blueprint, in which 6 clubs built and lived in ‘shacks’ in the middle of the pit for a week in order to raise awareness and money for the affordable housing crisis in Orange County.
Last year, I was on a APPLES Bryan Fellowship team seeking to address the holistic health of undergraduate students. I actually heard about the Philanthropy for Social Change class through the Bryan Fellowship program, and was excited for an opportunity to learn more formally about the administration and organization of non-profit organizations and foundations. So far, I have really enjoyed learning more about how the non-profit sector operates from a business perspective and the areas in which it is currently growing. I am on the community outreach committee, and I have helped to reach out to area organizations matching the mission of our RFP, answering questions about our application, as well compiling the applications we ended up receiving. I think we’ve had some really interesting guest speakers and critical conversations about what our responsibility as a foundation ‘board’ is, and I am looking forward to seeing how these insights will be applied as we begin to review grants!