Joe Brown, 28, inspired his Carolina classmates, loved the Tar Heels and never gave up

Posted Oct 28, 2018
Joe Brown pressed a button, and slowly, his remote-control wheelchair began to raise his six-foot-four-inch frame to a standing position. Brown loved his chair, and he especially enjoyed that feature. Living with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare and debilitating disease that progressively damages the nervous system, he wasn’t able to extend all of his lanky frame. (Durham Herald-Sun)

Related: Campus Connections

Carolina is calling Eric Church home
Country music superstar Eric Church has traveled the world performing songs for millions of fans. Through it all, one thing kept him connected to North...
Thu Apr 23, 2026

UNC earns top national rankings for graduate education
Numerous UNC graduate programs received high rankings in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” list, with 20 placing among the top 10...
Wed Apr 22, 2026

Savannah Bananas take on the Texas Tailgaters — and take over Chapel Hill
As early as Monday, April 6, a navy tractor trailer adorned with a bright yellow banana holding a bat screeched to a halt onto the...
Tue Apr 21, 2026

Carolina’s history comes to life on Instagram
One post shows what’s believed to be the oldest existing photo of UNC, a daguerreotype of sophomores from the 1850s. Another, posted on the first...
Sun Apr 19, 2026