The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillA new name, built on a strong foundation
October 12, 2026
Alumni Jason and Amy Shroff first began supporting the Summer Bridge Program in 2021. They met as sophomores at Carolina. (Photo courtesy of the Shroffs)
The Summer Bridge Program was recently renamed the Shroff Summer Bridge Program in honor of longtime alumni supporters Jason Shroff ’02 (JD ’06) and Amy Shroff ’02.
When Ryan Goff first received an invitation to join the Shroff Summer Bridge Program, her initial instinct was to ignore it.
The incoming first-year from Snow Hill, North Carolina, was excited about attending Carolina but nervous about what awaited her.
“Before Bridge, I was an incredibly introverted person,” Goff said. “I was scared that the people I met were going to be too smart for me.”
What she discovered instead was a community.
“I did end up meeting some of the smartest people I have ever known, but those people also happened to be the nicest people as well,” Goff said.
By the time the fall semester began, the uncertainty she once felt had largely disappeared.
“Bridge made my transition to Carolina so much easier,” she said. “I had the opportunity to come to Carolina with UNC-level class experience, knowledge of the campus and so many friends I still see every day.”
For Joshua Adekunle, a senior from Greensboro, North Carolina, majoring in biology and philosophy, Summer Bridge’s influence has extended throughout his Carolina experience.
After participating in the program in summer 2023, Adekunle spent the past two summers serving on the Shroff Summer Bridge staff as a math tutor.
Adekunle’s experience reflects one of Summer Bridge’s defining strengths: creating a network of support that extends long after the six-week program ends. Students often return as mentors, tutors and leaders, helping the next generation of Bridgees find their footing.
Stories like Goff’s and Adekunle’s are what drew Jason Shroff ’02 (JD ’06) and Amy Shroff ’02 to Summer Bridge. The Carolina alumni first began supporting the program in 2021.
“Jason and Amy’s philanthropy has expanded countless opportunities for Bridgees,” said Craver Family Dean Jim White. “Their dedication to the Summer Bridge Program is directly helping students thrive, academically and personally. We are honored to rename the program the Shroff Summer Bridge Program, in perpetuity, to recognize their incredible support.”
“It’s really humbling to spend time with the Bridgees,” Jason said. “They are so talented in so many different ways. And their excitement and joy to be a part of UNC is contagious.”
“Our hope is that in four years when they graduate from UNC, they will leave Carolina physically, but it will always remain a part of them, like a shadow that follows them wherever they go,” Jason added. “And that they will always remember that someone saw them and knew there was something special about them.”
The Shroffs believe that education empowers individuals to grow in all aspects of their lives, and that it helps them strengthen relationships and gain the tools and perspective needed to positively impact others.
That philosophy comes to life through students like Goff and Adekunle.
“When I walk around campus and see the faces of those from my cohort, I recognize the uplift of Summer Bridge,” Adekunle said. “I think back to where I was as a Bridgee, aspiring to do more than just study at Carolina. And now I see myself and other Bridgees taking on leadership roles and motivating others to grow.”
Jason and Amy Shroff met as sophomores at Carolina, which makes it all the more fitting that they are supporting a program that gives students a strong foundation to start their Carolina journeys.
“We remember our time in Chapel Hill as a series of amazing moments that allowed us to establish a foundation that we could continue to build on the rest of our lives,” Amy shared.
More than 25 years later, it is those memories, they say, that continue to shape their belief in the transformative power of a Carolina education.
The Shroffs are parents to two current Tar Heels, Noah Shroff ’27 and Chloe Shroff ’30.
By Meredith Tunney
