Anson-native wins ECU graduation cap competition

WADESBORO — One of Anson’s own expressed his struggle to graduate from university through his graduation cap design, earning himself bragging rights as he won East Carolina University’s grad cap competition.

Jonathan Polk submitted his graduation cap design to ECU along with about 300 other students ahead of this year’s graduation. With each submission, students were required to give a story behind why they selected that particular design.

Polk’s focus was on where he grew up — Anson County.

He highlighted the water tower in Wadesboro as it is a notable feature for all who live in Anson and drive through. It sits right in the middle of Wadesboro, seen from almost every part of the area, and stands prominently on his graduation cap.

Below the water tower you see a rose growing out of cement, a symbol of beauty overcoming difficult odds.

“The rose from the concrete is how I envision myself,” Polk said in a post from ECU. “A beautiful complex individual who made the most out of impossible circumstances. A rose blooming from concrete would amaze anyone, a Black graduating from a poverty stricken area is much the same.”

Polk’s graduation cap was painted by his friend, Tori Goldson, who he met his freshman year.

“Also on the side of my grad cap is ‘power,’ ‘perseverance,’ ‘platform,’ and ‘passion,’” Polk said. “Those are four words given to me by a mentor…they kind of just stuck with me all through college.”

All these words, as well as purpose, are linked together: passion can lead to your platform, giving you the power to persevere through obstacles.

You may also see Tite Cutz Barber Shop on Polk’s graduation cap. This is another notable feature of Wadesboro for Polk, located on the road painted on the graduation cap.

Navigating through his challenges and finally graduating from ECU is surreal for Polk.

“It feels liberating,” Polk said. “There’s not a lot of us that do it, but I can say I graduated the Class of 2017 from Anson High School … I feel like we are setting the tone for the younger kids in Anson.”

Just in his class, there were three other Anson graduates who earned a degree at ECU, which Polk’s thinks is incredible. He attributes this sense of motivation for a higher education to some of the inequalities he saw as a high school athlete while traveling to different high schools. Visiting nicer high schools made him feel less-than, but he had the realization in college that he is as good as these other students from top notch schools. He is in the same classes as they are, getting the same grades and obtaining the same degree.

Polk said being from a rural area, you might not have as many chances to go to college, let alone graduate in four years with two degrees like himself. He feels like he beat the odds.

He graduated on May 7 with both a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts as he double majored in history and political science with a double concentration in pre-law.

“Law school is the next step,” Polk said. “[It just depends] on which law school I’m choosing.”

Even while attending ECU, Polk wanted to give back to Anson County.

“I continue to give back to the same county,” Polk said. “A lot of my morals and a lot my values came from Anson County. To come full circle at 22 years old graduate with theses two degrees…it’s humbling. At the same time it is very liberating to know that I beat the odds in a sense.”

Polk and William Smith, a 2014 graduate of Anson New Technology School, created The Smith and Polk Foundation. The idea for this nonprofit started in Polk’s freshman year out of his dorm room. As part of a student organization at ECU, Polk was tasked with creating a community service project.

“I was thinking back to when I was a little kid how I benefited from book bag drives,” Polk said. “If I didn’t go to a book bag drive, I probably wouldn’t have a new book bag for school.”

As his freshman year ended, Polk took this community service project back to Anson County. He did his first book bag drive in 2018 in Anson County.

Smith then reached out to Polk with questions of how the book bag drive went because he had an idea of creating a scholarship for Anson students. Polk loved the idea so much that he had to jump on board.

“That is how this foundation started,” Polk said. “It was just two Ansonians, two Anson County natives seeing a need and just wanting to give back, give back to the youth.”

Polk’s rose will continue to grow as he continues his education and service, always remembering his Anson County roots.