Janett Nunez-Meza didn’t speak English when she immigrated to North Carolina from Nicaragua 16 years ago with her husband and five-year-old son.
Her husband was hired by Smithfield Foods. Janett worked in fast food and picked blueberries before landing a job in the migrant education department with Bladen County Schools. She worked up to the state level but always dreamed of becoming a college graduate.
At UNC Pembroke’s spring commencement this weekend, Nunez-Meza will not only realize her dream, she will cross the stage with her son, Jan Alvarez Nunez. The mother and son will be among the sea of 1,117 graduates during the two-day ceremony.
“I am very, very proud,” Nunez-Meza said. “Because of the language barrier, I had to work hard. It was challenging. And to be able to graduate with my son … it is going to be exciting. It’s a good feeling. I am so proud of him.”
Nunez-Meza aspires to be a preschool teacher and continue helping other migrant families. Her son plans to take a gap year before applying to dental school.
“My mother got into UNCP before I did,” Jan said. “She had a good experience with her classes, so I enrolled. We didn’t expect to graduate together, but it will be nice to celebrate this milestone together. We are trying to convince my dad to return to school. He has a bachelor’s degree from back home but is considering graduate school.”
Like the Nunez family, Coleman Bartley and his wife, Taylor, of Pembroke, will receive the greatest graduation gift as they cross the stage in matching regalia on Saturday.
But their degrees didn’t come easy. Taylor earned her degree while working full-time as a teacher’s assistant. She first enrolled at UNCP in 2014 but took a break after a few semesters. Coleman, a U.S. Army sergeant, enrolled in 2020 after being awarded the Green to Gold Active-Duty Scholarship. Taylor returned the same year through the Braves Come Back program as a readmit transfer. After graduation, Coleman will be commissioned as a second lieutenant.
The young couple navigated a global pandemic and a shift in course delivery while raising four children under 11.
“The last few years have been a whirlwind!” Taylor said. “I would leave in the morning for work, and after school, the kids would either have tutoring, piano (lessons), or cheer. Life has been hectic.”
Taylor, who will become the first college graduate in her family, said her children kept her motivated.
“I want them to have a better life than I did,” she said. “I grew up with a single mom. My dad was killed when I was in the third grade, and I became a mom at 16––so the odds were stacked against me. Thankfully, I have two amazing grandparents, an amazing mom and other family members who have supported me along the way.”
The Bartleys leaned on one another, alternating parental duties at home while juggling their schoolwork.
“We had to learn to manage our time effectively,” Coleman said. “We made sure the kids were good, then we would do homework late at night after the kids were asleep.”
Coleman will be graduating with honors and plans to use his interdisciplinary studies degree to give back to the community after he retires from the military. Taylor has been offered a teaching position at Pembroke Elementary School and will enroll in The Graduate School at UNCP this summer.
“It is such an accomplishment for both of us, but especially for Taylor because she is a first-generation graduate,” Coleman said. “I tell my wife daily, ‘Look how far you’ve come. If you work hard, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.’”
