Isabella Bunch first arrived in Elizabeth City as a high school senior, searching for something many students take for granted: a chance to grow in one place.
“I wanted to be able to not only prove myself but do so consistently, in the same place, without worrying about making new friends or who I was going to eat with at lunch.”
After attending four different schools throughout her K-12 journey and moving every few years, the Goodyear, Arizona native said she wanted a place where she could finally stop introducing herself as “the new kid” and start building a future that would last.
That desire led her to Elizabeth City State University (ECSU). Four years later, Bunch will graduate this Saturday as an honors student, award-winning business major, teacher, mentor and aspiring attorney whose journey has become defined not by how often she moved, but by how firmly she planted herself once she arrived.
Bunch will earn a degree in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship and management. Along the way, she balanced a full-time teaching schedule, sorority leadership positions, coaching responsibilities and academics, all while maintaining the high standards she set for herself. “I have always believed that if I remain disciplined, focused and willing to work hard, I can accomplish anything I genuinely put my mind to,” Bunch said.
Her accomplishments at ECSU reflect that mindset.
Bunch recently earned both the Outstanding Graduating Senior in Business Administration Award and the Honors Graduating Senior in Business Administration Award—recognitions she said represent her consistency and perseverance throughout college.
“Regardless of becoming a new member of a sorority, teaching 8th-grade English/language arts (ELA) and 7th-grade math during the 2024/25 school year, or even teaching 6th-grade math this year, my grades never declined and continued to show my consistent hard work and perseverance,” she said.
Though officially classified as a long-term substitute teacher, Bunch has spent the school year leading a sixth-grade math classroom with the presence, structure and professionalism of a veteran educator. Students see her not as a substitute, but simply as their teacher.
Ironically, Bunch said confidence did not come naturally to her.
“A fun and somewhat surprising fact about me is that I am actually incredibly shy and extremely critical of myself,” she said.
She remembers being the quiet student who sometimes ate lunch alone because she was too nervous to put herself out there. Moving from school to school left her reserved and cautious about belonging.
That began to change at ECSU.
“The opportunities I have embraced throughout college and adulthood have pushed me outside of my comfort zone and helped me discover confidence I did not always know I possessed,” she said.
Bunch credits much of that growth to the relationships and opportunities she found on campus, particularly through the ladies wearing pink and green.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where she served as treasurer and membership chair for the Delta Theta Chapter during the 2025-26 academic year, is where her soul felt at home. “The most impactful experience during my time here has undoubtedly been becoming a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and truly understanding the depth of what that membership means,” Bunch said.
She said the organization taught her that leadership is not always about titles or attention, but about consistency, service and uplifting others. One of her most memorable experiences was attending the sorority’s Leadership Seminar in Anaheim, California, where she connected with women from chapters across the country.
“There is comfort in knowing that wherever life takes me, there will always be another woman in pink and green willing to encourage me, guide me, and hold me accountable to greatness,” she said.
Bunch also credits ECSU’s Ngozi Oriaku, professor of Management & Entrepreneurship, with helping shape her academic mindset during her freshman year.
She recalls struggling to finish a demanding management exam and approaching Oriaku afterward to ask for more time. Instead of extending the deadline, the professor challenged her in a way Bunch said she never forgot.
“Dr. Oriaku looked me in my eyes and told me that if I needed accommodations, there was a building I needed to go to in order to get the proper paperwork,” Bunch said.
Afterward, Bunch said she was “flabbergasted.”
Bunch recalls in her high school days when she would plead her case, the teacher would oblige. She went home and told her mom, a middle school principal who holds a doctorate in Organizational Administration, about the professor’s response, and her mom informed her that the building the professor was hinting at was for individuals who need Individual Education Plans (IEP).
“Nothing wrong with that, but it was the wake-up call that I needed,” Bunch said. “I ensured that moving forward, I would put my best foot in front of me and do the absolute best to my ability. That I would absolutely excel, no exceptions, no excuses.”
The lesson stayed with her.
Throughout college, Bunch balanced a demanding schedule that included being a full-time student, full-time teacher, assistant boys’ track coach, sorority leader, daughter, sister and friend.
“The difficult part was not simply being busy; it was figuring out how to prioritize when everything in my life genuinely mattered to me,” she said.
She overcame those challenges through discipline and structure, relying heavily on calendars, schedules and dedicated study hours to remain organized.
Beyond the classroom, Bunch said some of her favorite memories came from the friendships she built during freshman year and from experiencing Viking Fest with them—laughing, dancing and embracing campus life in ways she once feared she never would.
“Our stomachs were full, the music was loud, and for the first time in a long time, I felt completely connected and present in a space,” Bunch said.
After graduation, Bunch plans to continue pursuing her passion for law. While completing her degree and teaching full time, she has also been enrolled in a paralegal certification program through Blackstone Career Institute. She plans to begin working as a paralegal while preparing for law school and the LSAT.
Five years from now, she sees herself graduating from law school, working at a successful law firm, and continuing to serve others through leadership and advocacy.
Still, Bunch said her proudest accomplishment may not be the awards, leadership titles or honors she earned at ECSU, but the person she became along the way.
“If I could describe my experience at ECSU in one word, it would be ‘journey,’” she said. “My time at ECSU has been far more than simply earning a degree; it has been a period of tremendous growth, self-discovery, and transformation. I decided that even if I was nervous, uncomfortable, or ‘shaking in my boots,’ I would still show up, get involved, meet people, and create the college experience I wanted for myself.”
For the once-shy student who spent years trying not to be noticed, graduation now represents something larger than a diploma.
It represents a young woman who finally found a place to stay long enough to conquer her fears and discover who she was always capable of becoming. In four years’ time, she went from the quiet girl in the room, to the teacher in front of it.