Drew Wayland
Drew Wayland, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, earned a BA in media and journalism with a minor in creative writing from UNC Chapel Hill. As a Morehead Cain scholar, he pursued his passion for discovering and reporting true stories through diverse international experiences. These included roles as a media literacy instructor in Hong Kong, a human rights reporter in South Africa, and a mountain sports journalist in British Columbia, Canada.
At UNC, Drew immersed himself in campus storytelling. He served as editor-in-chief of content for Vintage Blue, a Lodge-founded and student-run fashion company, and as editor for Chapel Hill’s arts and culture magazine, Coulture. His contributions to the UNC School of Journalism’s Media Hub led to winning the 2020 National Hearst Award in Explanatory Reporting for his story on artificial coral-reef regeneration in Belize. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Drew developed a passion for documentary filmmaking, working as a freelance filmmaker in Chapel Hill.
Drew pledged at the Lodge in fall 2017, quickly embracing its history and traditions. He served as assistant Lodge manager and later Lodge manager, living in both Crabdance and Exotica. His passion for researching and sharing the fraternity’s lore extended beyond his active membership and continues to this day.
After graduating in 2021, Drew worked as a development writer for Story Syndicate, a documentary film production house. There, he pitched new films to major streaming services and advised on story mechanics. Concurrently, he worked as an audiovisual technician at the Durham Convention Center and directed a feature documentary, Nowadays, about a Hawaiian farming family’s struggle to preserve their traditional lifestyle.
Drew credits his time at the Lodge as foundational to his interest in exploring diverse global stories. The Lodge, he says, is fundamentally a place of stories, a place to tell them, hear them, and preserve them in ways that bring the fraternity together. Inspired by his fraternity experience and international work, he began a dual Masters of Sciences in global media and communications at the London School of Economics and the University of Cape Town in 2023. This pursuit aims to enhance his storytelling capabilities and his ability to represent subjects more authentically and responsibly.
Nolan Gingrich
Nolan Gingrich, from New Bern, North Carolina, graduated from UNC in 2023, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in chemistry. Nolan was a member of the pre-optometry club and served as president of the club lacrosse team for two years. While in school, he worked at a local optometry clinic as an administrative intern before joining the staff full-time as a technician.
Nolan pledged at the Lodge in spring 2020 and filled the role of social chair, Delta Advocate, and #5 shortly after. He lived in the Lodge for four semesters, beginning during the COVID pandemic. He lived in the Mojito Lounge his sophomore year and First in Flight during his junior year. Nolan spent his senior year in a nine-bedroom house with other members of the fraternity.
Nolan has been working at Carrboro Family Vision as an optometric technician for the last year while applying to optometry school. His role is to prepare patients for their routine and medical eye exams by performing pretest scans, gathering information regarding their medical history, and coordinating referrals to various specialists.
In September, Nolan will be moving to Boston, Massachusetts, to attend the New England College of Optometry. This is a four-year doctorate program with an optional one-year residency offered to those wanting to specialize in cornea and contact lens, ocular disease, pediatrics, primary care, or vision rehabilitation.