Pembroke Activities Council, a student-led organization at UNC Pembroke, recently hosted their 27th Annual Talent Show with Tai'Jae Davis winning first place.

The event has occurred annually since 1994 and was hosted virtually for the first time in 2020 as the organization worked to navigate social distancing as a result of COVID-19.

The virtual event allowed contestants to submit videos of their talents that could be viewed by the campus community on YouTube that were then voted on electronically. The video submissions garnered nearly 4,000 views.

Parker Watson, associate director of Campus Engagement and Leadership who also oversees the host student organization explained, “our students worked diligently to convert a long-standing event that is typically held in GPAC each year to a digital format. We are thankful for the hard work of Pembroke Activities Council, their leadership and creativity. Their creative problem-solving skills and resilient spirits allowed us to continue a time-honored tradition that engages the entire campus community.”

Contestants included Tai'Jae Davis, Cynthia Bolden, Benny Dimery and Bruce Isley.

Tai’Jae Davis, the winner, submitted a video of herself singing Dance with My Father by Luther Vandross while her father accompanied her on piano. Davis is an upcoming junior and a nursing student. She received $500 for winning first place.

Contestant Cynthia Boden performed spoken word and is a senior psychology major. Boden is a member of the National Council for Negro Women and an alumna of the Leadership Living Learning Community. Boden spent two years on PAC's Board of Trustees.

Contestant Benny Dimery, a junior from Laurinburg, N.C., performed Special Love by singing and playing the piano. In addition to his enrollment at UNC Pembroke, Dimery is deemed an essential hospital employee and continues to serve the community throughout the pandemic.

Contestant Bruce Isley performed a vocal rendition of Raindrops and Imagine. Isley is a senior studying music and is from Climax, N.C.  

With the event hosted virtually, UNC Pembroke students were able to vote online and did so from a total of 14 different states and the District of Columbia. A total of 276 votes were submitted from Georgia, Kentucky, Washington D.C., Texas, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, California, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Pembroke Activities Council is a student organization supported by the Office of Campus Engagement and Leadership which provides meaningful co- and extra-curricular developmental and educational opportunities for students in a values-based and student-centered environment. To learn more, visit uncp.edu/cel or follow the department on social media.