Saturday Success Academy College Tour: UNC Pembroke and Fayetteville State

Two campuses. A full day of discovery. Mentors helping young people see what could come next.

College becomes more than a name on a website when you can walk the campus and begin to picture yourself there.

On Saturday, October 17, 2026, mentees and mentors from the 100 Black Men of Coastal North Carolina’s Saturday Success Academy will take an all-day college tour featuring UNC Pembroke and Fayetteville State University. The day will conclude at Fayetteville State’s homecoming football game, bringing together college exploration, mentorship, and school spirit.

A College Tour with History and Purpose

UNC Pembroke: American Indian Roots and Opportunity

UNC Pembroke began on March 7, 1887, as the Croatan Normal School, created to train American Indian teachers. Its roots reflect the work of Lumbee and other local American Indian leaders who sought better educational opportunities for their communities. Today, it is North Carolina’s historically American Indian university and a member of the UNC System. For our mentees, the visit offers a chance to learn about Indigenous history while exploring college options. It is also a reminder that education can help a community shape its own future without leaving its heritage behind.

Fayetteville State: Black Leadership and a Lasting Legacy

Fayetteville State University began as the Howard School on November 29, 1867, when seven Black men and Fayetteville’s Black community created a school to educate Black children after the Civil War. In 1877, it became North Carolina’s first state-supported school for training Black teachers. Today, FSU is a historically Black university and the state’s second-oldest state-supported institution. Its roots connect college education with Black leadership, community investment and the growth of public education in North Carolina. For our mentees, visiting FSU is a chance to explore their own next steps while learning how a community built opportunities for generations to come.

Exploring What Comes Next

The goal is not to choose a college in a single day. It is to give students a closer look at their options and room to ask questions.

What could I study? How might my interests connect to a career? What support would help me succeed? What should I be doing now to prepare?

Those questions deserve more than a brochure. Visiting two campuses gives mentees a chance to explore different university settings and think about what matters to them. It also creates a starting point for conversations with their families and mentors about life after high school.

Every student’s path will look different. This experience is about helping young people make informed choices, not choosing for them.

Mentorship Goes Along for the Ride

Our mentors and a few volunteer parents will be part of the experience, not just along for the ride.

A campus visit can spark excitement, uncertainty, or a question a student has never felt comfortable asking. Having a trusted adult nearby creates space to talk through those thoughts without needing to have everything figured out.

That is part of the work of Saturday Success Academy: connecting learning with real experiences and surrounding young people with adults who are invested in their growth.

The conversation does not have to end when the tour does. An interest noticed on campus can become something to explore further. A college question can become the next step in a plan.

Ending the Day with Homecoming Spirit

The final stop will be Fayetteville State University’s homecoming football game.

Along with the action on the field, mentees will have an opportunity to experience another side of college life: school pride, shared traditions, and a community gathering to celebrate its university.

It is a fitting close to a day centered on learning, connection, and possibility.

To the families who entrust us with their young people, the mentors who give their time, and the supporters who invest in our work: thank you.

What They See Is What They'll Be ^®

Our role is to help widen that view, listen to what our mentees see for themselves, and support the steps that follow.