Green Beret Veteran Returns to Civilian Life as a UNC Student Athlete

Posted Apr 14, 2024
Throughout UNC-Chapel Hill’s club hockey season this year, a camo helmet with flashes of gold could be seen moving in and out of the goal. Under the mask is Joel Hughes, an Army veteran and junior at UNC. Hughes enlisted in the Army straight out of high school, following the 9/11 terrorist attack. Now – at 39 – he’s working toward his college degree. (Chapelboro.com)

Related: Campus Connections

There Will Never Be Another Stuart Scott
For an entire generation of American sports fans, Stuart Scott loomed as large as the superstar athletes he covered. After 22 years at ESPN—bringing a...
Sun Dec 14, 2025

Meet UNC's Winter Commencement Graduates
After dedicating years to their studies, 1,444 Tar Heels will receive their Carolina diplomas at Winter Commencement on Sunday. UNC's December graduates excelled in the...
Sat Dec 13, 2025

Chansky’s Notebook: Game Changer
“Boo-Yah” to the Carolina guy who popularized the word. ESPN’s 30 for 30 special on Stuart Scott will make you laugh and wonder how he...
Thu Dec 11, 2025

Beyond Boo-Yah: How Stuart Scott’s friends carry his memory to this day
What comes to mind when you hear the name Stuart Scott? For Roy Williams, it’s as simple as a smile. "That’s the best thing...that’s a...
Wed Dec 10, 2025