Karkelia Mauney was beyond words when she found out her son would be staying in a motel instead of a residence hall at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
“Honestly, I was apprehensive,” Mauney told People, recalling the moment she learned her son, Tzuriel, had no dorm room waiting for him.
The surprise housing arrangement was first captured in a TikTok that quickly went viral with a caption that read, “When the college doesn’t have enough student housing so they send your kid to a motel,” and it struck a nerve with families across the country.
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For Mauney, though, it wasn’t just a funny or shocking video—it was her son’s real freshman year experience. She said leaving him in an unfamiliar city, without a car, made her extremely uneasy.
Mauney said, “My first instinct was to tell him to switch to online classes and come back home. It just didn’t feel right as a parent to drop him off at a motel instead of a dorm.”
However, her son’s enthusiasm was the deciding factor and she didn’t want to take his dream away from him. She and her husband remained in town, determined to ensure his safety before departing. Mauney recalled, “When we visited the motel, the front desk staff assured us of their strict security measures and that several other students were also staying there. That gave me just enough peace of mind to let him stay.”
She was particularly upset, believing the university had over-enrolled students without adequate housing. This disappointment was especially keen as she had eagerly anticipated the milestone of move-in day.
“My son missed out on the traditional move-in experience that so many parents look forward to sharing with their kids,” she said. “It felt chaotic and disappointing — I’d never even heard of students being placed in a motel for housing.”
Once she left her son, the worry didn’t disappear. “Transportation was the biggest hurdle,” she explained. “Without his car, he had to learn how to manage his time around the shuttle schedule.”
The restrictions created new challenges her son hadn’t anticipated. “The shuttle stopped running at a certain hour, and once the motel doors were locked for the night, he couldn’t come and go freely,” Mauney added. “It was a big adjustment for him, learning independence in that way.”
Despite the challenging start, there was a positive outcome. After approximately three weeks, he moved into on-campus suites. During his time at the motel, he developed strong bonds and a support system with the other students there.
What initially seemed like a frustrating situation ultimately became an opportunity for growth. He developed resilience and learned to independently navigate the campus. While it wasn’t the anticipated beginning, he grew significantly from the experience.
Looking back, Mauney hopes the university learns from the experience. “Communication and transparency are everything,” she told People, emphasizing that “families should be notified well in advance if the university cannot provide adequate housing.”
She vividly recalled witnessing the shock of other families. “Many parents traveled long distances, unfamiliar with the area, and were blindsided by this situation,” she explained. “It’s a huge emotional and financial investment to send your child to college, and proper planning from the school would have eased so much of that stress.”
Tzuriel, on the other hand, would never forget the moment he stepped into his temporary residence.
“Honestly, it was surreal,” he told People. “I had pictured the typical move-in day with roommates, dorm hallways, and decorating a tiny dorm room — instead, I walked into a motel room with my suitcases.”
He quickly understood that his college experience was taking an unexpected turn. This mental adjustment proved crucial in the subsequent weeks.
Instead of constant interaction with other students, Tzuriel had to actively seek ways to stay connected. Simultaneously, it instilled a strong sense of independence in him early on. He also had to cultivate his own “campus life” even when he wasn’t physically on campus.
He recounted, “At first, yes, it did make it harder to feel part of campus life. I didn’t have that instant community you get in a dorm.”
Tzuriel wasn’t going to let anything stop him. He actively looked for ways to connect, joining clubs and staying after class. He really put in the effort to make friends, which led to some genuinely strong connections.
Living in the motel definitely had its ups and downs, especially with getting around and feeling a bit disconnected. But honestly, one cool thing that came out of it was this fresh way of looking at things. That stayed with him even after he moved onto campus, he said.
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He really started to appreciate campus life more and got better at adapting when stuff wasn’t perfect. Plus, he found this awesome little group of students who were in the same boat, which was super supportive.
He sees his motel stay as a major part of his journey now. “Absolutely, it wasn’t the traditional start, but it made me resilient,” he said. “Looking back, I see it as a part of my story that set the tone for the rest of college.”
He added, “I learned early that things won’t always go as planned, but you can still make the best of it and thrive.”
“Don’t let your housing situation define your college experience,” Tzuriel advised. “Where you live doesn’t determine how successful or connected you’ll be—you do.”
In response to housing demand and situations like Tzuriel’s, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has invested $30 million in campus housing improvements for the 2025-2026 school year.
The institution said in a statement, “Improvements include major upgrades to the physical environment, including cleaning and servicing 1,500 HVAC units, completing mold remediation in nearly 420 rooms, and finishing more than 60 significant trade projects in plumbing, electrical, locksmithing, roofing, and general construction.”
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