ECM Alumni

Caroline Alexander Williams, UNC-ECM Class of 2002

I have been asked to write about life post-ECM and how my time at the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Campus Ministry affects my life today. It is impossible to explain the impact that ECM had on me - my best friends, my passion for service, a spiritual community, and even my husband came from ECM! The Chapel of the Cross gives students an incredible gift during our time in Chapel Hill - a home away from home in the campus center, an intergenerational family in the parish, fellowship with other students, endless opportunities to serve God's people, a variety of welcoming worship services, and a spiritual base for our time at Carolina. We took this love and faith with us as we graduated and went out into the world to love and serve. We all owe you a million thanks for supporting us through ECM and have faith that the Chapel of the Cross and the Rev. Tammy Lee will continue this gift of love to the University. Here are a few stories from alumni all over the country about how ECM continues to affect them today.

Lela Urquhart, Class of 2002

I'm in graduate school in archaeology at Stanford. I have been going to church at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Palo Alto and it is awesome! ECM helped me to refocus my devotion to my faith and to realize just how important it is. This has become apparent especially in the context of graduate school where I am working constantly and sometimes feel like my life is too focused on the most immediate problem (which is usually how many pages I need to read before class tomorrow).

Lauren Morley, Class of 2002

I have spent the year and a half following graduation from UNC in the Master's of Social Work program at the University of Michigan. Having been an active member of ECM for all four years of my undergraduate career, it was definitely hard to make the transition to a new place and begin the search for a new spiritual community. I have found that it is just not the same--our ECM group was composed of my closest friends and it is very hard to find a group that is as supportive and loving as the one I had been a part of. Luckily, I have been fortunate enough to have another former ECMer, Lawren Townsend, here at the University of Michigan with me (she's getting her Master's in public health), so it has been great to have that spiritual friend here!

Courtney McCarthy, Class of 2002

I am in Atlanta working as a consultant for IBM. I really like Atlanta, so much so that I just bought a townhouse! The biggest impact ECM had on me was reinforcing the importance of helping others. No matter how busy things were at school, ECMers always made time to lend a helping hand. I brought this lesson with me to Atlanta and have been tutoring a learning disabled second grader at a local elementary school twice a week.

Kim Lagemann, Class of 2003

I'm still in Chapel Hill, working as a nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at UNC Hospitals and attending the new Episcopal Church of the Advocate. ECM grew my faith, led me to be baptized and confirmed, and was a huge social support for me throughout college. I'm still very close with many ECM alumni and will be marrying former ECMer Sam Laurent next fall.

Lucy Melvin, Class of 2002

So much of our time in ECM was about showing God's love through service to others and the community. After graduation, I knew that I wanted to be involved in this on a larger scale, so I went to Washington, DC. Here I spend my days as a public policy associate with Girls, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides programs and after-school care for girls nationwide. Our mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Through our lobbying and advocacy, I have the opportunity to promote girls' educational equality, eradicate violence against them, and promote their right to live healthy lives. I know that the principles of social justice and equality that motivate me in my work every day were strengthened by the love and fellowship that I found in ECM.

Jeff Williams, Class of 2001

The Episcopal Church has always been a strong influence in my life, and the Episcopal Campus Ministry at the Chapel of the Cross was no exception. Some of my best friends are former ECMers - even my wife! We have enjoyed keeping in touch and continue to discuss the impact that ECM has on our lives. Look how many of us are learning more about our world and serving others! Currently I am in my second year of medical school at UNC. When the tests and homework get difficult, I am motivated by our call as Christians to serve others and to love our neighbors - two ideals that ECM nurtures in everyone who walks through the campus center doors.