Zoey Locklear (Coharie and Lumbee) is a rising senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Media and Journalism – Advertising/Public Relations, with a certificate of specialization in Sports Communication. She grew up in Clinton, NC, a town in Sampson County. While describing this tribal community, she stated it was home for her because “it’s where I was raised, but it’s where my community is and my mom’s people are from there. From church to family and tribal community, it’s all there.”
There have been many roles and instances where Zoey has been able to represent her tribe and work for her people. She mentioned that while in high school, she was President of the Native American Student Organization (NASO) at Clinton High School, President of the Coharie Youth Council for the North Carolina Native American Youth Organization (NCNAYO) and served as Secretary for NCNAYO. Zoey has also represented the Coharie Tribe as Little Miss Coharie and Junior Miss Coharie.
Seeing Native people in higher academia fueled Zoey’s thirst for education. She explained, “Seeing people that looked like me, talked like me, and that came from the same heritage and traditions succeed in higher education made me want to pursue it.” She mentioned taking part in summer camps that tribal communities hosted. Zoey shared that her love for education and knowledge extended outside the classroom. Her grandma and mother have a garden that enabled her to learn about plant systems and crops. Through that, she grew interested in science and the life cycle of cells while also carrying on the traditions of her people. The value of education was instilled in her by her family. She noted that she was always taught that education is important for a person to have and is vital for being able to rely on yourself in this world. She mentioned that Indigenous people in the past were barred from having access to education, so to her, it is crucial that she pursue higher education and continue breaking barriers for Native people to honor the legacy of her ancestors and the strides they made.
Zoey comes from a family full of Tar-Heels. Her mom, cousins, and aunties graduated from Carolina, making it feel like her birthright to follow in the same footsteps. She remembers as a kid hearing about the great Carolina experiences and memories from family members and folks within the Native UNC community. Zoey always loved Carolina but fell in love with the campus even more after attending summer camps in her sophomore and junior year of high school. One of those camps was Carolina Horizons, which is run through the American Indian Center (AIC). Because of this, she absolutely knew this was her home. Zoey was made more aware that the Carolina Indian Circle (CIC) and the AIC were available on camps for Native students. She mentioned, “If I choose this place for undergrad, I knew there would be people here like me and to support me.” What sealed the deal was Zoey earning the Morehead-Cain scholarship, and from there it was set in stone that she, too, would be a Tar-Heel.
After Zoey obtains her undergraduate degree, she hopes to continue her educational journey by pursuing a Master’s in sports marketing or hospitality and entertainment marketing. She would love to continue to work in sports for her career, in football or baseball specifically. Her hope is to get a job in professional sports and work in football while pursuing her Master’s. She expresses that she loves working in sports because it’s dynamic, fun, and no day is the same.
Native people build strong communities around sports, specifically basketball. Zoey plans to be a role model for Native kids who are interested in and have a passion for sports. There’s a strong sense of community around sports. Especially within Coharie youth, softball, soccer, volleyball, and baseball are popular. “And to see Native people in these roles in sports is so impactful. Kids being able to say, ‘People who look like me are in this space and I can do that too’ means everything. Having that role model and being able to see yourself in spaces you don’t usually see yourself in is important.”
With her experience in media and journalism, Zoey hopes to create a personal project that will allow her to conduct interviews with her family and tribal members to capture oral traditions and storytelling for her community. Storytelling is prevalent in Native communities because it is how culture is passed on throughout generations. There is a stigma around how truthful storytelling is, but it’s crucial to note that culture doesn’t have to be written for it to be true. Zoey mentioned, “Being able to survive over the years comes from storytelling and it can be lost. I want to help preserve that through talking to people and recording our knowledge.” Passing on these stories, culture, and ways of life is crucial so the next seven generations will have access to this sacred knowledge.
Zoey has many hobbies that she indulges in on a daily basis. For stress relief, she loves to workout, run, and go on walks. To help battle anxiety, she listens to podcasts, audiobooks, and journals. “I make sure to go outside to enjoy nature and earth. It’s how I spend time with the Creator, and I thank God for this gift. It’s calming and relieving.” Zoey’s relationship with God is the most important aspect of her life, and her relationship with the Lord is her firm foundation. Zoey said she prays all the time and prayer is how she keeps herself grounded and going.
Going into her senior year, Zoey is excited and has high goals for herself. She aims to continue to make good grades, make connections with her fellow Tar-Heels, and make long-lasting memories with her friends. She emphasizes the importance of wanting to truly enjoy her last year here at Carolina, not stressing so much, and prioritizing seizing the days.
This summer, Zoey has been researching and studying abroad in Aotearoa (New Zealand). She studied organizational communication in a program under the Department of Communication. She, recently, began her Global Perspective summer through her Morehead-Cain scholarship conducting an independent experiential learning research project entitled “Māori communication and cultural revitalization in Aotearoa and its global impact on Indigenous voices.” She has been shadowing and interviewing Māori and Pacifica peoples that work in political, social, business, communal, educational, and tribal spaces about their culture and heritage, revitalization efforts, communication strategies, and their perspectives regarding Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) and the ways in which it is/is not being honored in the present day. She has been exploring how traditions, language, artistry/craftsmanship, and storytelling practices contribute to the preservation of the Māori people’s cultural identity in Aotearoa’s society. With these declarations and documents in New Zealand, Zoey examined how they had intertwined with their schools and workplaces, rights as citizens to vote, and how Indigenous people have their sovereignty. She plans to take what she learned and bring it back to her own community to address concerns amongst the youth and access to resources.
While being at Carolina, Zoey’s favorite memory was from the first official night of her freshman year, when many of the Native first-year students living on south campus played tag in the upper quad on north campus. Afterward, they walked as a group to the Old Well and got an early drink of water from the faucet, as is tradition of Carolina students before the first day of classes. It’s a special memory for her because it was comforting knowing she wasn’t alone. She was surrounded by people who came from the same background as her and were all scared about their upcoming journey. She mentions that she’s still friends with the people she met that night and holds those friendships near and dear to her heart.
Zoey has many extracurricular activities. She is a Video Manager for Carolina Football. She’s been working with Carolina Football for the past three years and started video this past year. Her job as a video manager is to film practices and games. She mentions, “I love the thrill of it, I’m sprinting and dodging linemen and I try not to get hit.” Zoey also works for the North Carolina Football Club in premium area operations. Zoey has taken on internships while being at Carolina. Besides being a Video Manager, she served as a Recruiting Intern. She describes that the job being “a traditional intern-style with a unique sports flare.” She held this position for two years and loved that the job was fast paced in nature. She worked in-office during the week and assisted with home games, official visits, unofficial visits, other recruiting events, and camps.
Zoey is the current President of CIC for the 2024-2025 academic year. She has held positions on the CIC executive board and the steering council for the past three years. During her freshman year, she was Banquet Chair. Her role was Treasurer for her sophomore year. Then in her junior year, she served as Treasurer and Banquet Co-Chair.
To Zoey, the AIC and CIC mean a lot to her and are her communities on campus. She mentions, “Native students wouldn’t be able to thrive the way we do without the AIC supporting us. They are like a family to us.” The AIC is like a hub for all Native people, on campus and off. They engage in the campus community and surrounding communities to build relationships and connections. Zoey emphasizes how helpful the AIC staff are when it comes to different resources and helping students with college life. “They are there to help us. They give us constructive criticism, they give us resources, and they love us.” Zoey also feels the same way about CIC. The Circle has been around for 50 years, and will continue to strive. The Circle has a community and heritage so rich that it’s more than just the students attending. There are alumni, community members, parents, even grandparents who always show their love and support for CIC. Zoey is honored that she gets to continue this legacy in her final year and pass it on to the next generations of Native Carolina students.
“Be nice and have fun.” This is a personal motto that someone shared with Zoey and a motto that she tries to embody in her day-to-day life. She mentioned, “Sometimes we get so caught up in how fast-paced life can be that we forget to have fun.” Zoey mentions that she likes to slow down and live life simply. “Be nice to people and have fun on this journey we call life. Enjoy the big and the little things.” Zoey wants to share that many people go through hard times. “More times than not, many people are going through the same trials and tribulations as you. Know that you are never alone.” Community is healing, everyone deserves a community, and there is a community out there for you.
Arthor: Jalyn Oxendine