UNION COUNTY, N.C. – Tatianna Onley is a senior at Wingate University, and while she loves her school, there have been moments where she’s felt left out.

“Being a Black women, in itself is very challenging especially on this campus," she says. "It’s hard to feel comfortable. Not saying that this campus doesn’t make us feel comfortable, but it’s to a certain extent.”

But there's a building on campus that is designed to help change those feelings.

A few weeks ago the university opened its brand new unity house multicultural center, and it’s a place students have been wanting for years.

“We talked about it for so long so just to see it come to pass was definitely something that I was like, OK I don’t want to get my hopes up," says Onely. "I’ll just wait for it to happen and now it’s here.”

Dr. Antonio Jefferson is the director of lyceum and multicultural programming at the university, and says this building is designed to be a safe haven for underrepresented students on campus.

“This is a space where they can come and feel welcomed, where they can come and feel understood, where they can come and see individuals that look like them," he says. " I also want this to serve as a space where the larger campus community can get some educational opportunities.”

There are spaces for students to come and do work, lounge areas, and even a kitchen if they want to whip up a quick meal.

This building will also be a place where cultural trainings, workshops, and programs will be held too.

“If you want to get involved in the community, whether it’s with our K-12 school system, if you want to learn more about the NAACP, you can come here," says Jefferson. "So this is the hub for really learning about diversity and inclusion.”

While Onely is glad to finally see this building come to life, she’s even more grateful it’ll be here waiting for others who need it once she leaves.

“I just want everyone to feel like they have a space on campus," she says. "I want them to feel like this is safe space and that this building whether it’s here or if they move the multicultural center somewhere else on campus that they are represented.”

Jefferson says they are currently in the process of building an interfaith space on the property so that students who need a place to pray will have it.