Fayetteville State University unveils state-of-the-art education facility
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fayetteville State University, the state's second-oldest historically Black college and university, has opened its new, state-of-the-art College of Education building.
The $70 million investment honors the school's legacy of Black excellence while preparing the next generation of educators and leaders.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony marks a significant chapter in the university's history, which stretches back 159 years to its founding by seven men who envisioned a school where Black students could learn and create a better future.
"We're getting close to our 100th anniversary, and here we are once again reestablishing and redefining ourselves as a leader of education in North Carolina," said Nicholle St. Leone, archives technician at Fayetteville State.
Chancellor Darrell Allison emphasized the university's commitment to education in the region and beyond.
"It starts in the classroom," Allison said. "We've got a strategic call here in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, the Sandhills region, in the state and beyond, and we're doubling down on that. As I said, we're going to make good on this investment, and I'm excited about our future."
Founded in 1867, the institution became Fayetteville State Teachers College in 1939. Since its inception, the school has played a vital role in providing educational opportunities for African Americans.
"It was important for African Americans, Black Americans, to learn how to read and write and educate ourselves," St. Leone said. "The community came together with seven men and asked them to help them create a permanent institution for the school."
Today, students like Moriah Tymes, a Fayetteville native and senior studying elementary education, are carrying forward that mission.
"It's an amazing feeling knowing that we have a building to ourselves that lets us teach freely, learn more techniques to teach to future generations, and making sure that we all feel comfortable in knowing that this building is for us," Tymes said.
For Army veteran and junior Brooke Guglielmello, becoming an educator is another way to serve. "We need educators now more than ever. So knowing that there are prestigious people and people in our community that are willing to pour into us and want to see us thrive and go further in our education, it means a lot."
Guglielmello hopes to teach in Cumberland County after graduation and eventually pursue a master's degree in guidance counseling.
The new four-story facility will prepare future K-12 educators, including those pursuing special education, ensuring that Fayetteville State University's legacy continues for generations to come.
