Investing in the Future Leaders of Our Society

When twins Madison and Ansley Kreisler applied to college, they were fairly certain they wouldn’t attend the same university, nor was North Carolina at the top of the list for the Georgia residents.

But as decision time rolled around and they thought back to the various colleges and universities they’d visited, one stood out for both: North Carolina State University and the Poole College of Management.

They enrolled, and while they went their separate ways to some extent — joining different sororities and initially living separately — it turned out to be the right decision for both women.

“It felt like they were at a smaller college, being within Poole College.”

“You can get lost in those larger universities, but I never felt like they were at a big state university,” their dad, Nevin Kreisler, says. “It felt like they were at a smaller college, being within Poole College.”

At the same time, NC State offered the big school experiences, from Division I athletics to numerous internship and study abroad opportunities, says their mom, Amy Kreisler.

Madison and Ansley graduated from Poole College in 2023, but the Kreisler family’s passion and support for NC State and Poole College won’t end there.

Recently, Amy and Nevin made a generous gift to establish a high-impact experience fund as well as a distinguished professorship.

High impact experiences are a priority for Poole College and Dean Frank Buckless.

“High-impact experiences are pivotal for today’s students, as they provide an unique opportunity to blend theoretical knowledge with practical application that ensures our graduates have the critical skills necessary to thrive in a complex, ever-evolving global marketplace,” Buckless says.

Part of the Kreislers’ gift will fund the salary for Tyler Wiersma, Poole’s new director of high-impact experiences, who is tasked with developing and expanding high-impact experiences for Poole students.

Supporting Poole From Early On

Ansley and Madison enrolled in 2019. The two selected Poole believing a business degree would provide a variety of job opportunities following graduation. They found that to be true, and today, Ansley works in Raleigh for Saint Mary’s School, while Madison moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to work for a clothing company.

The COVID pandemic impacted their college experience soon after they enrolled, sending students home from campus in spring 2020. By fall, however, they returned to campus to live in their sorority houses. Campus life and classes didn’t fully return to normal until their junior year, Amy says, but the girls were happy to be back on campus with their peers.

From their home near Atlanta, Amy and Nevin found they were able to stay updated and informed, thanks to frequent communication from NC State and Poole College. They saw the girls form strong friendships with peers and strong relationships with professors on campus.

Amy and Nevin had the opportunity to meet campus leaders in the early days as well, including Chancellor Randy Woodson, Buckless and Brian Clark, Poole’s executive director of philanthropy.

Their first gift to Poole came about through conversations with Buckless and Clark about Poole’s greatest needs. Amy and Nevin made an initial gift when the girls were sophomores, designated to support faculty research.

Nevin noted they wanted their gift to go where college leaders felt it could do the most or be the most impactful. At the same time, Amy knew from serving on the board for their children’s K-12 school in Georgia that faculty support is always a critical need in education.

Professors regularly made the connection to real-world scenarios as they taught classes.

Amy also noted Madison and Ansley had positive experiences not just with tenured faculty but also with professors of practice who had worked in business and industry. Professors regularly made the connection to real-world scenarios as they taught classes, she says.

High-Impact Experiences as Real-World Learning

Further conversations with Poole leaders led to their latest gift. High-impact experiences simply fit with the Kreislers’ own beliefs about higher education.

“These experiences are so important for students,” Amy says. “They’re getting real-world learning outside the classroom.”

In their parent orientation at Poole, Amy remembers being impressed with talk of internships and the strong relationships Poole has built within the industry.

“They’re getting real-world learning outside the classroom.”

“That really appealed to us as parents,” she says. “Our ultimate goal is to get them out in the world and working.”

Madison and Ansley did not have quite as many of those high-impact experiences because of COVID, the Kreislers said, but they did study abroad in Italy for six weeks.

Being successful professionals themselves — Amy with a law degree and Nevin in the medical field — the two also talked about how they’ve seen high-impact experiences play into the lives of young professionals today.

“In medicine, it provides that experience so you know what you’re getting into,” Nevin says. “It’s a long road in the medical profession, and if they can get exposed to the work or shadow someone, it’s very beneficial.”

In some scenarios, high-impact experiences can be a recruiting tool, he noted, providing businesses the opportunity to see students in action and potentially extend a job offer upon graduation.

‘Investing in the Future Leaders of Our Society’

Funding the distinguished professorship came back to the Kreislers’ belief in the importance of faculty support. It was also a way to honor Amy’s father, who passed away in 2020. The R. Randall Rollins Distinguished Professorship is named in his memory.

Giving back as Poole parents was important to the Kreislers, who see the education their daughters received as critical to who they are and who they’ll become later in life. It’s also a thank-you.

“It’s a thank-you for taking care of our daughters for four years, and through a very difficult period with COVID, and setting them up for success in their lives,” Amy says. “The relationships and experiences they had at NC State were very well-rounded, and we hope we can make it even stronger for the next group of students.”

Buckless says their generosity also reflects a deep understanding of the importance of hands-on learning and its impact on student success.

“By funding both high-impact experiences and a distinguished professorship, they are not only enhancing the quality of education at Poole College but are also investing in the future leaders of our society,” he says. “Their contribution goes beyond financial support — it is a powerful endorsement of our mission to Think and Do. We are immensely thankful to the Kreisler family for their support and for being a beacon of inspiration for others to follow.”

“We are immensely thankful to the Kreisler family for their support and for being a beacon of inspiration for others to follow.”

And this may not be the end of the story for the Kreislers and NC State. The couple has a son who is a high school junior. As he gets into the thick of college searches, NC State is on his list. Of course Nevin and Amy want him to go wherever he finds the best fit, but “we would be thrilled,” Amy says, if he picked NC State.