Maelyn Jarmon is a singer-songwriter who first captured national attention as the Season 16 winner and 2026 All-Star champion of NBC's The Voice. She went on to reach #1 on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart and became one of only 15 artists in history to chart three songs simultaneously in Billboard's Top 10. Maelyn is currently working on her debut release with Moon Records and has two new singles available on all streaming platforms.

Pastor Ric Blazi has served in ministry for 30 years, including the past nine years as the Adult Discipleship Pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Originally from Warner Robins, Georgia, he played college football and has remained passionate about athletics and mentoring young people. He has been involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and currently coaches high school football at Hickory Grove Christian School.

Pastor Ric and his wife, Genie, have four children. Throughout his three decades in ministry, he has been committed to serving his church, community, and the next generation through faith, leadership, and mentorship.

Alicia Griffin is a dedicated teacher and proud native of Concord, North Carolina. She now lives in Greensboro with her husband and their two Deaf children. Passionate about education and advocacy, Alicia teaches Deaf students in her county, where she is committed to creating inclusive and supportive learning environments. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family and cheering on her favorite team—Go Panthers!

We are the official Honor Guard for the Concord Fire Department. We are a dedicated group committed to representing the traditions of the fire service. We perform ceremonial duties at official functions, including funerals, parades and community events, while upholding the legacy and values of the fire service.

McEntire Joint National Guard is home to the South Carolina Air National Guard 169^th Fighter Wing, also known as the Swamp Fox. The wing has delivered combat airpower and domestic response for nearly eight decades. From pioneering fighter operations after World War II to flying combat missions in Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and ongoing global deployments, the 169^th Fighter Wing maintains an elite reputation.

Today, flying the F-16C/D Block 52 Fighting Falcon equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array radar and advanced precision targeting, the 169th specialize in the high-demand Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission.

Always on call, the 169^th Fighter Wing delivers unmatched global lethality for the joint force while providing rapid disaster response and civil defense across South Carolina

Selected in the first round (13th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft from Oregon by Carolina, Jonathan Stewart played in 131 games with 64 starts from 2008-2017 for the Panthers. He ranks first in team history with 7,318 rushing yards and 1,699 rushing attempts, while his 16 100-yard rushing games stand second in franchise history and 58 total touchdowns are tied for second.

In 2008, Stewart set franchise rookie records with 836 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. He led the Panthers in 2009 with a career-high 1,133 yards, including 206, the second-highest single-game total in team history, against the New York Giants. Stewart earned Pro Bowl honors in 2015 as he rushed for a team-high 989 yards and was a key member of an offense that led the NFL in scoring with a team-record 500 points and won the NFC Championship.

Prior to the formation of the marching band, Miss Carolyn Glover had organized ensembles every year, beginning in 1933 at the North Carolina College at Durham. In the first 50 years of operation, North Carolina College had only four directors: Mr. Wesley Howard, Dr. Joseph Mitchell, Mr. Hershel McGinnis and Mr. Richard Jones. Under Jones, the college band enjoyed great success. Aside from their halftime performances at all of the college's football games and other campus events, the band made many outside appearances, including the1960 North Carolina Governor's Inauguration and the much-talked-about performance on October 29, 1961, before more than 56,000 fans during the halftime of the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game at Yankee Stadium.

Currently, Professor Jovan Alexander Wilson is at the helm of the machine (2022–present) and was officially named director of bands in 2023. In 2022, the band saw its second visit to the Celebration Bowl and record-breaking numbers for attendance at the Spring 2023 Band Blast High School Day Event, with 400+ high school students attending. In 2023, the band made their way around the United States, with their first-ever appearance at the Rose Bowl Stadium, performing at halftime and entertaining the crowd, and to Indianapolis to win the Circle City Battle of the Bands against Mississippi Valley State University. In 2024, the program was featured as a top 15 Marching band by ESPN, and in 2025, the band performed at the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta. The NCCU Sound Machine Marching Band is currently home to 215 students, one of the largest ensembles housed at NCCU.