Fayetteville State University has unveiled a $70 million College of Education building. This facility stands as a major investment in North Carolina’s second-oldest HBCU.
The ribbon-cutting took place at the four-story structure, which will prepare future K-12 educators and special education teachers. Chancellor Darrell Allison said the building demonstrates his school’s dedication to serving the area.
“It starts in the classroom,” Allison told ABC11. “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.”
Seven men founded the school back in 1867. They wanted to create a place where Black students could learn. By 1939, it became Fayetteville State Teachers College. The institution has operated for 159 years now.
“It was important for African Americans, Black Americans, to learn how to read and write and educate ourselves,” said Nicholle St. Leone, archives technician at the school, to ABC11. “The community came together with seven men and asked them to help them create a permanent institution for the school.”
St. Leone pointed out when this happened. “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,” she added.
Students welcomed the new space. Moriah Tymes, a senior studying elementary education, grew up in Fayetteville.
“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 to ABC11.
Brooke Guglielmello is a junior and Army veteran. She plans to teach in Cumberland County after she graduates, then pursue a master’s degree in guidance counseling.
“We need educators now more than ever,” Guglielmello said to the outlet. “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.”
