This story is a part of our 2026 Women’s History Month series – highlighting the stories and relationships of the women and women’s programs here at Carolina Athletics.

Despite being a Rams Club member for more than two decades, Tonya Mason still describes herself as a “newcomer” to several Carolina sports.

Whether it’s taking in her first ever Women’s Tennis match at the Chewning Tennis Center or learning the intricacies of Field Hockey at Karen Shelton Stadium, each experience represents something bigger than just another Carolina sporting event – it’s an opportunity to learn.

“I’m still growing as a fan,” Mason said. “I just joined the train of UNC sports, and it feels like I keep adding another one each year.”

The willingness to keep learning has defined Mason’s journey as a Rams Club donor. What started as a membership  with The Rams Club after she graduated law school has grown into something more personal – a mission to support Carolina’s women’s athletic programs, mentor female student-athletes as part of the FORevHER Tar Heels mentorship program, and help redefine what a Rams Club donor can be.

BORN & BRED

Like many Carolina fans, Mason’s Tar Heel fandom began with the Men’s Basketball program. Whether it was listening to Woody Durham call the 1982 National Championship game on her bedroom clock-radio (when she was supposed to be asleep) or watching the 1993 title game from Linda’s on Franklin Street just a few months prior to her graduation, Carolina Basketball was her initial gateway to the rest of Carolina Athletics.

“I used to be diehard UNC Men’s Basketball,” she said. “I loved the Tar Heels, loved Dean Smith, and loved every player. It was all focused on that.”

During her college years, Mason admits that she didn’t pay much attention to the Olympic sports programs that had their own championship pedigrees. It wasn’t until years later that Mason realized the amount of work behind the scenes needed to sustain that championship excellence.

BUILDING A NEW PERSPECTIVE

After she graduated from Carolina, Mason built a successful career as a commercial real estate attorney. It was at that point in her career where she often found herself as one of the only women in the room. Those experiences shaped how she thought about opportunity, mentorship, and the importance of lifting each other up.

“As a female attorney in commercial real estate, there aren’t a lot of us,” Mason said. “It’s gotten better, but I’d frequently be one of the only women in the room. But along the way, there were women who helped me and mentored me. Even people I never met were able to support me – just like I may not meet everyone I support.”

“I’m not a former athlete, so I don’t have that background,” she said. “But I loved seeing what sports had done for my nieces especially. Seeing all the positives associated with that and meeting a lot of athletes here is inspiring. It’s enjoyable to see people getting a lot out of their college experience.”

What started with a donation to the Dorrance Field project has continued to organically grow across the Athletics department. Mason is an active donor across many women’s sports initiatives, including the Women’s Basketball Bench Seat program, the Field Hockey Legacy Club, and soon-to-be Carolina Volleyball ACE Club.

“It just sort of happened, and before I knew it, I started thinking I could go to Lacrosse games, go to Field Hockey games. It was exciting and different,” she said. “Being a small part of these programs has been very meaningful, and you feel like you’re able to make a difference.”

SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION

That difference isn’t being made exclusively through financial donations. For Mason, the relationships she’s building and the ability to serve as a mentor to the next generation is just as important.

A member of the inaugural FORevHER Tar Heels cohort of mentors, Mason has connected with multiple student-athletes who have an interest in pursuing law school when their college athletic careers are complete.

“I’ve met with a few student-athletes who are interested in becoming attorneys, and I know that they’re going to be successful at it,” she said. “Sports has a lot to do with that. The organization skills, the time management – everything that you gain from sports propels you to success.”

But she believes that the awareness is growing rapidly.

“I think it’s gotten so much better over the past ten years,” Mason said. “People are more cognizant of the importance of women’s sports and want to support them.”

As Mason herself continues to delve into new sports across campus, she’s able to serve as an advocate for the women’s sports programs at Carolina.

“For me, it’s been amazing,” she said. “I never would have thought I would have invested so much time in sports that weren’t even on my radar even a few years ago. I try to encourage my friends at least to attend games that they might otherwise go to. Through that, I hope they might become interested.”

Among those Mason has convinced? Her own parents, who also moved back to the Triangle in recent years and have become regulars in Carmichael Arena during Basketball season.

“Going to games together has helped me gain a lot of connection with my family, especially my parents. If we hadn’t all moved back and gotten involved, we probably wouldn’t have started going to games together,” she said. “My parents – my dad particularly – have fallen in love with Carolina Women’s Basketball. He would pick that over almost anything. That’s been really rewarding for me as a daughter.”

GETTING INVOLVED

Mason hopes that more women begin to find their way into college athletic philanthropy. Her own story stands as proof that donors don’t have to fit a traditional mold and meaningful impact can start small.

“I think sometimes women don’t always see themselves in this role. I probably didn’t either at the start,” she said. “FORevHER Tar Heels was a way to connect more women into realizing they have a part to play. There are people who think ‘I could never be that person,’ but you can be, it’s for everybody.”

Today, Mason’s support and involvement in Carolina Athletics spans across multiple programs, including being an honorary scholarship donor for a member of the Softball team. But she still sees herself the same way she did when she first joined The Rams Club – a small part of something bigger.

“I feel selfish in a way because I truly feel like I get more out of it than I put in,” Mason said. “Getting excited for any victory or reading about someone getting a scholarship, it’s so rewarding in its own way.”

“What the Rams Club does is help you realize you are a small but important piece of a big puzzle,” she concluded. “You’re crucial to it all fitting together.”