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Dr. Andrea Duhon, Lecturer & Director of the Math and Science Center

Andrea Duhon believes the arts should command a place at the STEM education table and has incorporated step-dancing into coding curriculum.

She learned step as a first-generation college student, which increased her confidence and sense of belonging. In her summer programs, she has infused the stimulation of body and brain together to jumpstart complex work in coding. Her goal is to get her students to see mathematics beyond the classroom. Step is an art form well known in the African American and Latino communities, populations that have typically underperformed in mathematics. Combining the two generates interest in the discipline for many underrepresented students.

“Everyone thrives at 51����,” she says. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, you have an opportunity here.”

Jamie Brown ’99, Restaurateur & Scholar-Athlete

Jamie Brown ’99 took one of the biggest gambles of her life when she opened a restaurant. Almost two decades and six dining concepts later, Brown and her spouse and business partner, Jeff Tonidandel ’98, are among Charlotte’s top restaurateurs. 

Brown’s drive and discipline as a scholar-athlete on the basketball court and the broad skills she gained as a student translate into the pragmatism, creative spirit and leadership she brings to her restaurant group and its 300 employees. Her 51���� experiences prepared her for a high-risk, high-reward path.

“You’re learning about overcoming challenges – that’s what it’s like to be an entrepreneur,” she says. “It’s also what it’s like to be a 51���� student.”

Steve Mirabello ’25, Student & College Crisis Initiative Team Lead

Research and leadership that has helped inform policy makers and national organizations on higher education issues across the country — Belk Scholar Steve Mirabello ’25 has found more than a sense of achievement at 51����; he has found a sense of purpose in a place that supports his aspirations. 

Mirabello double majors in philosophy, politics and economics and in French and Francophone Studies. He’s a team leader for the College Crisis Initiative, a research venture that studies and reports on how colleges and universities innovate in times of crisis. He serves as a leader in student government and on the Ultimate Frisbee field. And he’s discovered a passion for helping children improve their literacy skills through his extensive volunteer work in the Charlotte region.

“51���� has helped me understand the problems we face as a society and given me the tools to help solve them.”

Stephen Curry ’10, NBA MVP, Philanthropist, Scholar-Athlete

Stephen Curry ’10 says his time as a 51���� scholar athlete launched his storied rise to NBA superstar, Olympic gold medalist and trailblazing philanthropist.

Alongside four championships and two MVP awards as a Golden State Warrior, he devotes his time, resources and drive to feeding, educating and offering opportunities to play and be active to Oakland-area children – the Eat.Learn.Play. foundation he started with his wife Ayesha. 

For Curry, what you do off the court means the most. Your net worth is defined by what you give back. In 2022 he returned to 51���� to accept the diploma he started working toward 16 years earlier.

“Everything that’s come from my life — those seeds were planted those years I was at 51����.”