Mother and son pursue MPA degrees

When Atticus Graysmith entered the UNC School of Government program, he thought it would also be perfect for his mother, Nicole Graysmith.

By Josh McCormack, University Communications and Marketing

Many parents support their children’s academic goals at Carolina, but few join them on the journey.

Nicole Graysmith ’94 ’99 (JD) is doing just that, pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree from the UNC School of Government alongside her son, Atticus.

What began as an offhand suggestion turned into a full-fledged family affair.

Atticus Graysmith, a 2024 NC State graduate, came to Chapel Hill to study information science at the UNC School of Information and Library Science. Passionate about community engagement, he decided to pair that with a master’s degree from the UNC School of Government.

After earning her law degree from Carolina, Nicole Graysmith worked as a legal aid attorney in the environmental justice field.  A few years after becoming a mother, she switched to working for a family IT business while teaching and taking on nonprofit work.

When Atticus Graysmith enrolled in the MPA program, he saw how the curriculum would benefit his mom. Now, more than three decades after finishing her undergraduate studies in Chapel Hill, she’s enrolled as a Tar Heel yet again.

“Once Atticus got into the MPA program, he came to me and said, ‘Mom, I think this would be perfect for you,’” she said.

Though he encouraged his mom to consider public administration, he was surprised when she applied.

“At first I thought it was kind of crazy,” he said. “My mom already had a law degree. But once she explained to me why she wanted to do it and how she wanted to get back into full-time nonprofit work, it made sense to me. It also excited me because now I get to go on a journey with my mom.”

While the two share similar course loads, he takes classes on campus, and she, balancing work and other nonacademic responsibilities, studies remotely. Still, they connect over coursework and daily conversations.

“We’ve actually gotten to do some of the same assignments, and it’s been funny to hear how we tackled them differently,” Nicole Graysmith said. “One assignment we both had was to write a memo advising Gov. Stein on how to deal with problems at the DMV. Maybe I’m too wordy, but I wrote four pages, and I think Atticus wrote a page and a half.”

Nicole Graysmith said that while their differences sometimes make her laugh, she’s proud of her son’s ability to form his own opinions and ideas.

When asked about his mother’s perspectives on assignments, Atticus Graysmith’s response was more succinct.

“It’s alright,” he joked. “She’s wrong a lot of the time.”

Jokes aside, Atticus Graysmith is grateful to share this experience with his mom. It’s the latest chapter in a long family history with Carolina: Nicole Graysmith’s father and husband are both alumni, and her youngest daughter, Rosemary, is a first-year student. The family has also lived in Chapel Hill for years, mere minutes away from campus.

“We’re a Chapel Hill family,” Atticus Graysmith said. “It feels right that we’re all here, getting an education together.”