Radford Twins Get Ready to Swing into Fall Semester at University of Mount Olive
MOUNT OLIVE – Twins Heath and Marah Radford of Pikeville are just two of the anticipated 225 incoming freshmen expected to enroll at University of Mount Olive this fall. The Radford twins, recent graduates of Wayne Early Middle College High School (WEMCHS), could have gone to college anywhere. They chose MOC for several reasons.
“Mount Olive’s small class size and personal interaction were two of the main motivating factors for our decision,” Marah said.
Heath agreed, “The staff really took the time to talk to us as individuals. I knew they wanted me for me, not just to fill a seat.”
The pair, active members of Black Jack Grove Original Free Will Baptist Church, was also very familiar with the quality educational programs at University of Mount Olive. Heath hopes to one day become a librarian and therefore plans to major in English and then seek his master’s degree. Marah aspires to be a teacher and plans to major in elementary education and minor in history. The twins will both participate in the University of Mount Olive’s Honors Program.
Heath commented on this opportunity saying, “When University of Mount Olive invited me to join their Honors Program, I was very excited. Marah continued, “This experience will allow me to interact with students who have similar educational goals.”
Heath and Marah were born prematurely, with a combined weight of only a little over nine pounds.
“We were not expected to live and we had to go through a lot of medical issues,” Marah recalled.
“Mom told us that when we were put in the same nursery at the hospital, we got better. When we were separated, we got worse,” Heath stated.
The phenomenon baffled some of the medical personnel at the hospital, but Marah and Heath believe that their bond was powerful even then.
“We sometimes finish each other’s sentences and thoughts,” Heath said.
“Heath and I are opposites,” Marah further elaborated, “We are the half of each other’s whole. This is what makes our twin bond stronger.” In twin-like fashion, Heath continued Marah sentence saying, “but that helps us function together.”
With the fall semester just around the corner, Marah and Heath are looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
“We can’t wait to start college,” they chimed together.
Move in day for new students is scheduled for Saturday, August 13. Classes will begin on August 16. The last summer orientation date is scheduled for July 23. According to Vice President for Enrollment Dr. Barbara Kornegay there are still opening for resident students and many scholarship opportunities available. For more information contact the Admissions Office at 919-658-2502 or visit www.moc.edu.
University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The College, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Goldsboro, Research Triangle Park, Washington and Jacksonville. For more information, visit www.moc.edu.