Memorial fund honors the life of Lizzy Harding ’23

May 8, 2024

Lizzy Harding '23

The Lizzy Anne Harding Memorial Fund has been established to honor and recognize the life of Lizzy Harding ’23, who left us too early at the age of 22. Lizzy put an enormous amount of energy into the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship at Carolina. The Program gave her direction during her UNC career and provided hope for a future where she would make a difference in the world. UNC would never have meant as much to Lizzy if it were not for Bernard Bell and the Shuford Program.

One of Lizzy’s favorite courses was within the Shuford Program with Bell, who taught a class about networking and starting a business to eventually make a positive change in the world. Lizzy became passionate about regenerative agriculture and sustainability and wanted to further her education around these principles. After graduation, she completed an internship with BackRoads Travel in Berkeley, California, learning about the adventure travel industry on the business side.

She then went to work a harvest at Medlock Ames Winery in Sonoma County, California. Medlock Ames is a leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture within the wine industry and was a perfect fit for Lizzy’s passion. Harvest was grueling and the interns often worked 70-hour weeks. This time with her fellow employees opened her eyes to the entrepreneurial spirit the Shuford Program had instilled in her while at UNC.

The Harding family wishes for this award to go toward students, faculty and/or staff members who promote awareness around mental health and are making a difference in what really is an epidemic for today’s youth. Lizzy battled a long fight with mental health both during her time at UNC and after graduation. According to the CDC, in 2021, suicide was the second leading cause of death for age groups of 10-14 and 25-34 and the third leading cause of death for individuals between ages of 15-24. We must make a difference in this battle against mental health and in Lizzy’s memory. The Harding family is proud to have established this award to support those individuals making an impact through the Shuford Program.

Lizzy’s Story

Lizzy grew up in Vail, Colorado, the daughter of a UNC alumnus who met her mother in Chapel Hill. UNC was always a fun family place to visit or watch games and walk around campus. During high school, Lizzy excelled in distance running and went on to win seven state championships during her high school career. She, along with her sister Naomi ’23, were recruited by UNC, among other schools, to run track and cross country. Both Lizzy and her sister decided to commit to UNC where they now join their father as graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This family truly bleeds Carolina Blue and are Tar Heels for life!

Lizzy studied Italian and entrepreneurship while at UNC. Her Italian studies allowed her to travel abroad in Milan, Italy for two semesters. She visited 19 countries in her lifetime yet wanted to continue growing that number to experience different cultures.

During this time and with the help of the courses she was taking through the Shuford Program, Lizzy developed a passion for regenerative agriculture, traveling, and food and wine. She always hoped to someday have a career in this field in order to make a difference in how agriculture can aid in saving our planet.

Lizzy was a bright young woman full of energy and curiosity. She was loyal and kind to her friends, family and loved ones. She loved being silly and making any ordinary circumstance a fun and enjoyable one. Unfortunately, her illness stripped everything from her. Raising awareness around this prevalent tragedy is one of the primary ways we can help each other. The family hopes this award will grow over the years and recognize those people making a contribution to the mental health struggles on our university campuses. Through this award, we hope to keep the memory and hope of Lizzy alive and continue to support the Shuford Program at UNC.

If you’d like to support the Lizzy Anne Harding Memorial Fund and mental health through the Shuford Program, please make a gift here – https://go.unc.edu/lizzyharding.

For more information on the Lizzy Anne Harding Memorial Fund, please contact Ronda Manuel at [email protected] or by calling 919.962.7266.