The Niner 9

The Golden Niner will be announced at halftime of the Homecoming game and will:

• Receive a $500 award and the Golden Niner Pickaxe
• Design a Golden Niner themed jacket or blazer of their choice 
• Be featured in UNC Charlotte promotional and storytelling campaigns 
• Have the opportunity to participate in notable experiences with Athletics, Admissions and other departments across campus
• Pass the Golden Niner Pickaxe onto the winner at next year’s Homecoming football game

Emely Rosario

Year: Senior | Major: Communications Studies
Campus Involvement: National Pan-Hellenic Council, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Nu Rho Chapter, Resident Advisor, Pre-Law Society, Caribbean Student Association, Black Student Union, Latinx Student Union

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
To me, being a Niner means resilience, community impact, and growth. I quickly realized that being a Niner is about getting out of your comfort zone and trying new opportunities, whether scared or anxious, and allowing them to shape you into the person you want to become. Niners are driven, passionate, and deeply committed to their communities. Being a Niner means to show up, do your best, and trust that growth will follow suit. Being a Niner means wanting not only personal success, but collective progress as well. I am so blessed to call myself a Niner, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Josie Perdue

Year: Junior | Major: Communications Studies and Dance
Campus Involvement: Gold Dusters Dance Team, Alpha Delta Phi

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
To me, being a Niner means embracing every opportunity to represent Charlotte with pride, passion, and purpose. Every experience I have had, from dancing with the Gold Duster Dance Team at the Dukeʼs Mayo Bowl, to volunteering through Josieʼs Blessing in a Box, supporting students at the Jamil Niner Pantry, and representing Charlotte as Miss Charlotte, has come from being a Niner. I love the energy of game days, cheering on our teams, and seeing the campus come alive with green. I am approachable, love meeting new people, and enjoy connecting with alumni, teammates, and fellow students to make a difference together. One of my proudest moments was creating an intro video about Bonnie Cone, the founder of UNC Charlotte, which was played in front of thousands of people at the Miss North Carolina competition this past June. Her vision of leadership and service inspires me to carry forward the same spirit. Being a Niner is about leadership, service, and building a community that lifts each other up. I truly bleed green and carry the spirit of Niner Nation in everything I do, whether I am performing, serving, or showing pride for our incredible university.

K Andrews

Year: Senior | Major: Business Administration and Political Science
Campus Involvement: Resident Advisor, Housing Ambassador Team Lead, Alpha Chi Omega, Leadership Fellows Program, National Residence Hall Honorary, Resident Student Association

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
Being a Niner means more than just wearing green on Wednesdays. It means showing up with purpose for myself, my campus and my community. For myself, it is saying yes to every opportunity that helps me grow, whether that is undergraduate research, Greek life, service or leadership. For my campus, it is bringing energy and positivity each day to create a better experience for the people around me. For my community, it is about being present, cheering on fellow 49ers, supporting their programs and celebrating the pride that makes UNC Charlotte feel like home.

Noor Chima

Year: Senior | Major: Biology and Psychology
Campus Involvement: Punjabi and Sikh Student Association, ETHEL Undergraduate Research Journal, South Asian Student Association, NC Charlotte Niner Guides, Levine Scholars Program, Kids Are Scientists Too, Pre-Law Society, Habitat for Humanity, Plants for the People Club, Jamil Niner Student Pantry Guide

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
For me, the spirit of Niner Nation is gratitude grounded in action. I was welcomed here when I wasn’t sure of who I was, and that embrace gave me courage to find my footing. UNC Charlotte gave me a place to belong, and that is a gift I will always carry with me. Being a Niner means carrying that gratitude forward by turning it into action…..welcoming others, creating spaces where students feel seen and valued, and lifting up every person in our community. To be part of the Niner 9 would not just be a personal honor, but a chance to show what it means to be shaped by this community and to give back to it in every way I can.

Enny Ogunyemi

Year: Graduate Student | Major: Cognitive Psychology
Campus Involvement: Organization of African Students, Student Government Association, Red Cross Club, Psychology Student Coalition,  Boxing Club, Black Women in Medicine, Pals for Peds, International Student Advisory Council, SERVE Team, Nigerian Students Association, Graduate & Professional Student Government

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
To me, being a Niner means more than wearing green and gold. It means belonging to a community that transforms you while you help transform it. As an international student, there were moments when I felt invisible, unsure if my voice truly belonged here. UNC Charlotte taught me that strength comes not from blending in, but from showing up authentically and helping others do the same. Being a Niner has meant taking my lived experiences, the wisdom of my grandfather, the encouragement of my aunt, and the vulnerability of sharing my journey to build spaces where students can plant themselves, connect, and thrive. Being a Niner is resilience in the face of challenge, pride in lifting others up, and service that extends beyond the classroom into the community. It is carrying the stories of those around me and making sure no one feels rootless or unseen. It is embracing the idea that success is not just passing through UNC Charlotte, it is letting UNC Charlotte pass through us. For me, being a Niner is about leaving this place better than I found it, and allowing it to leave its mark on me in return.

Abby Grace Bare

Year: Junior | Major: Elementary Education
Campus Involvement: Teaching Assistant, Niner University Elementary, University Honors Program

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
Being a Niner to me means that you maintain an excellent, not just good, standing with academic requirements. You work hard and become dedicated to the education provided by UNC Charlotte to honor the value of scholarship and the opportunity to be a Niner. Being a Niner means that you are excited to show spirit for the 49er athletics. You know every word to the fight song, you stand and fight for the green and white until we get the victory, you participate in Wear Green Wednesdays and you attend all the festivities around the first and last days of class. Above all, being a Niner means that you are a proud scholar and cheerleader of UNC Charlotte. Being a Niner means everything to me. I cannot wait to walk my children around campus someday and explain all of these beautiful things of this school to them.

Olivia McNeil

Year: Junior | Major: Special Education-General Curriculum
Campus Involvement: Cheer Nation, Building Black Students, UTOP Mentor,  Campus Activities Board

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
To me, being a Niner means always being willing to try, step into the unknown, and challenge yourself in spaces that donʼt always feel easy. Through my various campus experiences, I have learned the value of being vulnerable about your discomfort and how vulnerability not only makes you a better person, but a better leader as well. Being a Niner means being intentional and to be a community builder. Iʼve always been intentional about building community for myself and realized that I can also help in building community for others, even when my patience is tested or the work gets hard. Being a Niner means bringing your best, even if you don’t have all the answers, and being willing to learn and figure it out as you go. Iʼve seen how this principle lives on in my friends, peers, faculty, and staff, and itʼs one of my highest motivators to keep doing what Iʼm do. Being a Niner is no longer a goal or ideal that I am striving towards, itʼs a philosophy and has been engrained into my own moral code. To be a Niner is synonymous with being Olivia Charlize McNeil, neither are perfect and they donʼt try to be, but they are resilient, strong, and changemakers

Emily Pierce

Year: Senior | Major: Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies
Campus Involvement: Tutor at Writing Resources Center,  Student Niner Media, Leadership Fellow STAR Mentor, LEAD Team

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
Being a Niner means being authentically myself. I show up every day for myself and my Charlotte community. Being a Niner means that I am ready to take on any challenge, push myself to be better, and contribute to something bigger than myself. Charlotte has taught me how to lead, learn, and live to my fullest potential. Being a Niner is about growth, resilience, and connection. Itʼs about turning anxiety into strength and apprehension into belonging. Being a Niner is knowing that I am part of a community that believes in me, just as I believe in it.

Natalia Harris

Year: Senior | Major: Health Systems Management and Psychology
Campus Involvement: College Mentors for Kids, National Council of Negro Women, Auxiliary Services Student Ambassador, Campus Activities Board

What Being a Niner Means to Me:
Being a Niner means more than wearing green and gold, it means embracing resilience, community, and growth. To me, itʼs about showing up for others, pushing through challenges, and finding ways to make a positive impact on those around you. Itʼs the spirit of striving for excellence while lifting others up, whether in the classroom, through leadership, or in everyday interactions. For me personally, being a Niner means fostering meaningful connections, and using my experiences to inspire and support those around me. Itʼs about taking pride in who we are as a community and carrying that pride into every part of our lives, on and off campus. Being a Niner is a commitment to growth, compassion, and leaving a legacy of impact wherever you go.

2024 Golden Niner: S.L. Ivey

Graduate student and History Department Graduate Teaching Assistant S.L. Ivey is Charlotte’s 2024 Golden Niner.

Graduate student and History Department Graduate Teaching Assistant S.L. Ivey is Charlotte’s 2024 Golden Niner. He was selected from the prestigious Niner 9 and is the fourth student to be named in this young annual tradition. 

S.L. Ivey credits the second Charlotte Golden Niner, Raquan Leary ‘22 for sparking his interests to apply to Niner 9 and to overcome personal challenges of long-term substance abuse. Ivey says that he was a two-time college dropout trying to find the courage to return for a third attempt at earning a bachelor’s degree after rehab when he read Leary’s Golden Niner encouraging statement; “Manifest your goals and understand that the sky is not the limit.” “Nothing is impossible.” “If you work at your goals, you’re going to get it, but nothing you want in life is going to be easy. Obstacles are not stop signs; they are speed bumps. They may slow you down, but they won’t stop you unless you allow them to.”

Ivey claims Leary’s words inspired him to return to UNC Charlotte in his mid-40s to finish his degree. Ivey, a first-generation college graduate, earned a BA in political science in December 2023. He has been sober for 2.5 years and is pursuing a Master of Arts in history and an MPA with a nonprofit management specialization. 

As a graduate teaching assistant for Dr. Andre’s Post 1865 undergraduate American History course, Ivey feels very connected to the university and responsible to incoming niners. Ivey, the vice president of the Graduate History Association and a proud Aux Guide, has starred in several Auxiliary Services student-center campus videos promoting student activities and services. 

“The homecoming halftime Golden Niner announcement photo where I chuckle and point at 2023 Golden Niner Kenan Moore standing next to me is my favorite.” “I had spent the last year dreaming of that moment where he would stand next to me on the field and pass me the axe.” It was a far-fetched dream at my age and with my past, but Golden Niner Leary’s words regarding obstacles being nothing more than speed bumps helped me to manifest it!