GoHeels Exclusive: Academic All-Stars Program Continues To Inspire

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

Yvonne Kelly's 2019 is off to a great start.

Not only did the kindergartener make the honor roll at her Greensboro elementary school, but she was also honored as an Academic All-Star during the second half of the North Carolina men's basketball game against Harvard on Wednesday.

Yvonne isn't too much of a UNC fan yet, she said. But she was still excited to be recognized for her hard work. So were her parents, who joined her for the game.

"I was so proud," said Kimberly Wells, Yvonne's mother, of when she learned about her daughter's achievement. "I'm actually a Tar Heel fan, so I was excited and I was just really happy she made honor roll. She's very smart, and I was just really happy."

The game against Harvard was the last of four events during which Carolina honored this year's Academic All-Stars.

Along with official sponsor Crumley Roberts, UNC partnered with more than 500 North Carolina elementary schools for the sixth year of the Academic All-Star program. Schools selected outstanding students in each grade to be recognized for their exceptional academic aptitude and character. Ultimately, more than 2,000 students were honored, either at the football game against Western Carolina or one of three men's basketball games.

Students also received a certificate and bumper sticker for their accomplishments.

Wells said Yvonne's recognition is more than a reward for a few good grades. It might also encourage Yvonne and fellow Academic All-Stars to keep working toward attaining academic success.

"I think them recognizing children of any grade and just letting them know what they're doing is good, that's huge," Wells said. "I think it will help them push themselves more, to say, 'Oh, this is cool. I'm getting recognized to do good work. So if I do good work, maybe I'll get more things in the future like this.'"

GoHeels Exclusive: Academic All-Stars Program Continues To Inspire

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