Wannabe UNB girl needs U

BY SARA KEDDY

Kings County Register

Taylor Fancey wants - no, needs - U to be her friend.

And, she wants you to take in her spiel about what she hopes will be in her own future: UNB.

The New Brunswick university is running a contest right now for first-year students coming into its Fredericton or Saint John campuses: the prize - $5,500, tuition for a year. “There’s only two schools I’ve applied for,” says Fancey, a Grade 12 West Kings student from Berwick: “St. Thomas and UNB, both in Fredericton.”

She hasn’t heard back yet from either on her acceptance, but she’s not sitting back waiting. “I heard about the UNB contest two months ago on a TV commercial, so I went to the website, got the form and set up an entry.”

UNB is asking prospective students to promote the fact there’s “only one U in UNB” through the on-line Facebook social network, in the community and wherever else they can. “I’ve got pictures of people who have been to UNB, I’ve taken my own pictures and cut off my head and stuck it around places in Fredericton,” Fancey says. “You get points for new Facebook members and attention in your community.”

She’s sporting a “UNB needs me” T-shirt and plans to take it around Berwick and ask others - the mayor, the school principal, the arena Zamboni driver - to wear it in pictures she can post. She’s contacted UNB alumni - Adam Spurrell, Michelle Bourque and Sonia Beattie included - to pick their brains and get some UNB insights that shows she knows the institution’s ins and outs. She’s asking local stores for permission to use their signs to promote her Facebook page. “I’m begging - just look at the site. It’s me and my story, look at the school - it’s small, beautiful but big enough to offer everything. “The atmosphere is so me - I like it.”

Fancey plans to study a bachelor of arts in English, and wants to further that with a bachelor of education and, someday, teach young children. “I’m the oldest of three, I love little kids - even in Grade 6, I’d be the one down the hall helping dress the little kids to go outside.” She’s spent three years helping with Berwick’s March break program; this year, she’s in charge. She works two hours every day with the town’s after school program and spent last summer with the day camp sessions.

As of 8 a.m. March 13, Fancey is in second place in UNB’s contest, with 581 friends on her Facebook site. “The guy who’s leading has 1,600 - he posted a video on YouTube but I have two, and I posted another one yesterday and I’ll do another one after March break. “He’s already graduated from university in PEI.”

Making up the rest of the U in UNB field are 79 other students; you have until March 21 to get a Facebook group up and running. Fancey says she’s only seen one other student from the Valley - in Middleton - involved. UNB will start judging and announce its winner April 7. “There are thousands of students going to UNB every year, but you’d be crazy not to be doing this.”

WEBLINKS:

On Facebook, search “Taylor Fancey only one U, UNB”