Alumni Feature #2

Chatham Charter is proud of the successes of its alumni and how they can inspire current and future students. Over the course of the summer of 2023, Knight News will feature alumni from its 2016-2022 graduating classes. These are only a sample of the incredible achievements Chatham Charter graduates are finding as a result of the opportunities they made the most of before and after high school graduation. Staff would enjoy highlighting additional alumni. Contact Beth McCullough (bmccullough@chathamcharter.org) to share good news about graduates.

In case you missed the first set of alumni featured, you can still see them here.

Brooke Garner (Class of 2022)

“I have had an amazing and exciting year with NC State in the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Program. I’ve had a plethora of opportunities during this time both inside and outside of the program, from taking courses outside of my major, such as Forensic Anthropology which has allowed me to explore a study that in many other cases I would not have been allowed to engage in, to meeting a U.S. Army General. This certain General was the one to present me with my award, I received the War of 1812 Award, and this accolade is presented to one cadet per year for outstanding moral character and academic standing. I’ve also had countless opportunities, one, in particular, being Field Training Exercises (FTX). Once a semester the battalion spends three days at Camp Butner learning tactics, carrying out operations, performing shooting/range drills, and learning how to survive in “worst-case scenarios.” Through NC State and Army ROTC, I have made friendships that will last a lifetime and learned valuable information to be utilized in both the military and the civilian world.”

Avery Harris (Class of 2018)

After graduating from Chatham Charter in 2018, Avery attended UNC Chapel Hill where she received a BS in Business Administration and a BA in Economics. During her time as an undergrad, she was involved in Greek life and served the Panhellenic community in various leadership roles, allowing her to bridge her budget management and fundraising skill set with causes she deeply cares about, such as literacy and eating disorder awareness. Avery also admits to having spent way too much time at the Dean Dome and has transformed into a UNC basketball diehard (much to the surprise of many). This June, she is graduating from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School with a Master’s in Accounting and is pursuing her Certified Public Accountant licensure. Avery will join PwC in Raleigh this fall in their Audit and Assurance practice, a place & career path she came to love during her internship experience. She is passionate about accounting and protecting the public trust, but is eager to forge strong relationships and continue seeking out the human impact of her work.

Luz Burrayo (Class of 2020)

Being part of Chatham Charter’s 2020 graduating class, Luz Elena Borrayo decided to continue her education with Central Carolina Community College, finishing her Associate in Arts within two full semesters in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. After finishing her Associate degree in 2021, she transferred to the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where she is currently finishing her senior year. There she is working on her Bachelors degree in Studio Art with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGS) to further push her career goals of becoming an artist/entrepreneur and continuing her education in the future to become an art educator. 

By focusing on Studio Art, Luz is able to establish art that not only speaks to her and her agency, but pushes the borders of what art is in professional, personal, and public settings. Art is versatile and comes in many different media, sizes, and models. Working in two-dimensional, three-dimensional, technological, and physical media throughout her time at UNCG, Luz continues to expand her knowledge in Studio Art in relation to the real world and topics of conversation. Using her minor in WGS to further push the importance of conversation and change within specific systems throughout her works, she is an activist for all women’s rights, their health and wellbeing, and finally the push for equal equity for all. Having exhibited some of her first public work in the UNCG 2023 BA Show at the Greensboro Project Space, The American Dream is Dead for Me-xican Artists in May of 2023, Luz hopes to continue challenging conversation and opening up public spaces for marginalized communities in the art world. Today, she is constantly at work creating art in all its vast forms and establishing herself as an artist, whether that be for professional development or non-professional means.

Morgan Southern (Class of 2016)