Jessica Franco Credits Charlotte’s University Center for Academic Excellence
In her four years at UNC Charlotte, Jessica Franco has accumulated a long list of awards, accomplishments, and experiences. The first in her family to attend college, she received the First Generation Community Impact Award this past fall. An industrious and skilled designer (she will graduate on December 13 with a BFA in Graphic Design), she earned the Greg Middleton Graphic Design Award in 2022, the E. Hudson Graphic Design Award in 2023, and the Senior Excellence in Graphic Design Award in 2024.
In addition to scholarships and awards through the College of Arts + Architecture, Jessica is one of 25 WINGS scholars from across the city of Charlotte. Offered by the local organization Women Executives, WINGS (Women Initiating and Nurturing Growth through Scholarships) is a scholarship and mentoring program for non-traditional students at Charlotte area universities. Jessica, who entered UNC Charlotte when she was 26, was paired with a mentor from Parker Poe law firm, which led to the opportunity to design a new logo for the firm that will be released next year.
“The opportunities that I have been presented,” she says, “it’s just been huge.”
But among the many highlights of her college career, Jessica says that her work as a peer mentor and success guide with the University Center for Academic Excellence has been especially meaningful.
“That was a huge part of my academic success here,” she says. “Having to be that leader and role model for others.”
She has made presentations about peer education, mentorship, and serving students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at three conferences. Most recently, her experience as a SHIELD Mentor (Students Honoring Individual Experiences and Learning Differences), in which she has worked with neurodiverse students with ADHD and similar conditions, led her to focus on that population for her senior thesis project, “Thrive – Don’t Just Survive.” The project is a design package for a physical and digital planner that helps neurodiverse students organize their thoughts, manage their time, and prioritize tasks. Companion materials offer advice for instructors to help them best serve those students in class.