Name: Adeline Dorough
Year: Senior
Age: 21
Hometown: Indian Trail, NC
Major: Exercise and Sports Science
Minor: Social and Economic Justice
HR: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
AD: This is actually insane and it makes no sense, but I don’t like when I’m squeezing a squirt bottle and it just foams at the nozzle (laughs). Like when I’m using Spray ‘n Wash or Oxyclean and I’ll squeeze the bottle and it does not come out. I get heated, I’m serious. I have to put the bottle down and walk away.
Her Campus: Do you have any hidden talents?
AD: Well, when things are flying through the air accidentally or something slips out of someone’s hands, I’m really good at just putting my hand out and catching it. I don’t know why because I don’t have really good hand-eye coordination generally, but sometimes I just *bam* stick my hand out and it works.
HR: Can you explain Carolina’s Camp Kesem program and the goals of the organization?
AD: Camp Kesem is a national non-profit, and there are 73 chapters across the nation, and they’re all run by volunteer college students. Our chapter is the only collaborative chapter, between UNC and Duke, which is really cool. So, I’m the UNC executive director, and there’s a Duke director. We work together all year long to provide free camp for children affected by a parent’s cancer. So, our goal is to provide support for kids through and beyond a parent’s cancer.
So, while we have two weeks of summer camp for free for kids ages 6-16, we also work throughout the duration of the year to raise that funding, and have reunions for the kids, and maintain contact with them, so it’s like a community and not just a couple weeks of camp. The program has changed my life and rocked my world for sure.
HR: When did you become involved with Camp Kesem?
AD: I got involved with it my first year here at Carolina, and I was a counselor for the 10-11 year-old age group for two years. And then my junior year, I became the development coordinator on the executive board. And now, I’m the executive director of UNC. So, it’s been really fun because I’ve just climbed the ladder, and I don’t actually know what I’m doing all the time (laughs), but it’s a great learning opportunity, and has challenged me in a lot of ways. It’s an honor to be a part of it.
HR: You’re also involved in UNC’s club “OBT.” Can you tell me a little bit about that?
AD: Yeah so, OBT is the “Order of the Bell Tower,” and we are the university’s ambassadors and tradition keepers. Our goal is to unite past, present and future Tar Heels. So basically, how we do that is by hosting an array of events within those different networks to try to get them plugged in, to build the importance of higher education and the importance of Carolina.
HR: When did you join OBT?
AD: I started my freshman year, and there are only of few of us who started first-year. So it’s really cool because we’ve been involved for four years, which feels like a very long time to be advocating for one group. I’ve enjoyed doing that with Camp Kesem, but it’s an entirely different sphere with Order of the Bell Tower. Kesem is related towards a very particular demographic and population and is focused on serving them in a very particular way. But OBT is a lot more broad-based, and its goal is to really just encourage people to grow more deeply rooted and embedded within the university.
It’s this whole different spectrum, but it’s so cool to have been a part of two organizations for an extended period of time.
HR: Can you talk about the process of running for Miss UNC?
AD: So, it’s about a six week process, and you have to apply to run. There’s a long application process where you have to submit three letters of recommendation because Miss UNC is centered around the Carolina pillars, which are “Service,” “Academics” and “Leadership.” So, you have to have a letter of recommendation from someone at the university supporting one of each of those traits. Then you have to submit your transcript and letter of intent regarding your service project.
After that, if you get approved, you have to go through the first round, which is getting signatures. I don’t remember how many you have to get, but you also have to go to all these meetings for the Board of Elections. It was far more political than I anticipated. But once you get approved and get the signatures then that’s your nomination, and then you go on to the first round of elections. And then if you make it through that, you go through the final round of elections, and that’s announced at homecoming.
HR: That sounds intense!
AD: Yeah, It’s a very long process, but it challenged me in a lot of strange ways. I learned a lot more about organization. Like, having to schedule a lot more things in regard to so many other people’s schedules was difficult. I had a lot of people on my campaign team, but it was really cool because they were so helpful and so willing to just step up and do whatever needed to be done.
HR: Can you explain your platform and campaign?
AD: Yeah, so when I ran for Miss UNC, I ran to implement a new scholarship fund for our kids at Camp Kesem because camp is free, but after they graduate from our program there’s this awkward transition of going into college. We don’t have any official program in place to support them beyond their years at camp. So, I started this college scholarship fund for the kids who have aged out of the program, but remain actively involved in the organization just to promote higher education, and let them know that we’re still there for them in a different way. They’re entering this new phase of life so we still want to support them and love them, so it’s a way to bridge that gap.
HR: Outside of class, work and volunteering, what do you like to do for fun?
AD: I like to longboard and play! (Laughs) That makes me sound like a child. But, when I’m not doing work and stuff, I like to watch “How to Get Away With Murder,” eat ice cream, hang out with friends and longboard.
HR: What advice would you give to future Tar Heels?
AD: Hmmm…I would say don’t take buses and walk everywhere because everything is pretty outside. But realistically, I would say find something that you are very passionate about and something you really like advocating for and truly investing in it. Because there are so many different organizations and options on campus of things that you may not even know. So, go out on a limb and join things. I joined Camp Kesem because a flyer hit my leg, legitimately. And now I’m the director of it, and it’s changed my whole perspective about the cancer population, and now I want to go into that field.
HR: What would you like to do in the future ?
AD: Ultimately, I want to go into public health with exercise oncology, which is kind of a small area that’s growing in popularity. But, I want to go into program development, implementation, and evaluation for those wellness programs. So basically, I want to target the quality of life during and post treatment for cancer patients just so that they have the opportunity to go to one more soccer game for their kids, or eat one more family meal or pick up one more hobby they’d like to do but never had the opportunity to do because of cancer. It just destroys you and destroys your family, and it’s so hard because it infiltrates into every aspect of your life.
I just have a really big heart for the cancer population. So, just using a different means that is more cost effective and can affect their quality of life throughout the duration of their cancer is something I’m really passionate about.
Be sure to give Adeline a shoutout if you see her around campus! HCXO.