A UNC Greensboro commencement ceremony is a celebration unlike those at other institutions.
Families don’t clap modestly at the accomplishments of the graduates. They stand up and cheer for opportunities that previous generations thought were out of reach, as the first college graduates in families from all over the state cross the stage to receive their diplomas.
It’s the celebration of a dream that many in attendance once thought might be too big for their families. And when it comes true, the diplomas come with hope for better lives ahead.
It Begins with a Parent’s Hope
On May 9, 2025, John Penn was in the audience to watch his fifth child, Jayden King Penn, cross the stage with an accounting degree from UNCG.
The proud father remembers being an average student at South Stokes High School in the early 80’s when winning a state title in wrestling put him on the radar of colleges like Appalachian State and NC State.
“I’d never even thought about college,” Penn says. “I didn’t take school very seriously, and always assumed I’d finish high school and get a job. Then during my senior year, I saw all this opportunity come around. I decided right then that I would make sure my kids knew that college was a possibility from a really young age. I had a chance to go, but I wanted to make sure they were prepared to follow through.”
An employee for Reynolds American, Penn has been fortunate with good jobs to support his large family while staying involved in their education, sports, and interests. Today his children are aged 42, 41, 40, 28 and 22. They hold certifications and degrees from Forsyth Technical College, East Carolina University, Chowan College, Western Carolina University, and now UNCG. They make good salaries in jobs they love and are thankful their parents encouraged them to go to college.
“I definitely think they live easier than I did because they chose to go on to college after high school,” Penn says. “And I’m thankful that schools like UNCG helped with financial aid. This made tuition manageable for us, so no one graduated with debt.”
Higher education circles have a term for Penn’s hope for a better life for his children: social mobility.
It refers to the higher salaries, better job opportunities, planned rather than settled-for careers, broadened world views, and easier lifestyles that come with a college education.
First for Social Mobility
The U.S. News & World Report has named UNCG the Best College in North Carolina for social mobility for six years running. (UNCG sits at #15 nationwide!) High marks come from the University’s support for first-generation (first-gen) students and those who rely on financial assistance.
UNCG enrollment stats include the following:
- 51% of all undergraduates self-identify as first-generation students
- 54% of students are people of color
- 57% of undergraduates receive Pell grants
- No. 1 in the UNC System for total percentage of Hispanic/Latino student enrollment
In addition to accepting more first-generation students, University departments also tailor services to them. In 2025, UNCG was cited as the first in the UNC system for performance, thanks to high scores for graduation rates, credits earned, low student debt upon graduation, and funding received. Impactful financial-aid services, academic interventions, and strategic use of “rescue” funds for high-need students has created a culture of support, hard work and tenacity that breeds success at UNCG.
Maris Jones ‘22 is proud of her personal achievement as a first-gen student and how she was able to inspire her sisters to attend four-year institutions as well.
“Seeing and hearing about my experiences, and the opportunities that higher education gave me, motivated them to pursue their own college paths,” she says. “I am happy to say that both of them will be graduating this year.”
Today, Jones inspires even more prospective students in her chosen career as a digital marketing coordinator for Enrollment Management at UNCG.
What’s Good for Spartans is Good for North Carolina
Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam doesn’t miss an opportunity to cite the University’s service to first-gen students at every commencement and campus address. “We are proud of our efforts and appreciate the recognition that our strategic investments are bringing valuable returns for our students and our state,” he says.
UNCG’s ripples of impact uplift individual graduates and their families and in turn, boost the state of North Carolina. There are baby steps in social mobility and huge strides like Dr. Trey Bateman ‘08 made when he began commuting to UNCG for a biology degree.
“My mom had just lost her job at Pillowtex [formerly Fieldcrest Cannon],” he remembers. “We were struggling financially, so I had a Pell grant for my first two years. At UNCG, I found opportunities at a college that never felt overwhelming.”
He also found a calling that led him to medical school at UNC-Chapel Hill. Now, he’s a behavioral neurologist studying and treating adults with neurodegenerative causes of cognitive decline at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
Bateman’s specialty in treating dementia and diseases like Alzheimer’s is critical, especially in our state, where the population of adults aged 65 and up is expected to double over the next 20 years. He credits UNCG for giving him “the chance” to chase his dream and “the support to succeed.” You can bet Bateman’s family and the patients he has treated throughout the state would agree.
“Because of UNCG, not only am I able to give a better life to my wife and my children, but to my mom who sacrificed for me,” he explains. “We joke that I’m her retirement plan. She doesn’t have a 401K because she was too busy juggling credit cards to give me everything I needed and most of everything I wanted. But because of her sacrifice I am able to better support my family. It’s hard to measure the value of the way UNCG promotes social mobility for people, but it is something they are doing better than so many universities out there.”
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photos by Sean Norona, University Communications, unless otherwise noted.
