{"id":512616,"date":"2022-09-01T13:00:32","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T17:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/?p=512616"},"modified":"2022-09-30T20:58:48","modified_gmt":"2022-10-01T00:58:48","slug":"modern-day-renaissance-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/modern-day-renaissance-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Modern-Day Renaissance Man"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>By Caroline Barnhill<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ex-food blogger. eGame winner. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsasports.org\/name-image-likeness\">NIL<\/a> thought leader. Tech enthusiast. Wolfpack football stand-out. Tim McKay has his hand in a little bit of everything. Since beginning his journey at NC State at 16, he\u2019s tackled all these roles and responsibilities \u2013 and then some \u2013 with a desire to make the most of his academic career. And with eyes on the future, he\u2019s just getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The youngest of four brothers, McKay is an offensive lineman for the Wolfpack. Like every Division I student-athlete, his life is full of demands. He talks about these and his early start to college, however, the way most people talk about their trip to the grocery store. To him, it\u2019s nothing extraordinary \u2013 what is hard work for most is simply daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI skipped a grade when I was younger and was able to graduate high school early,\u201d McKay says. \u201cFootball brought me to NC State. My parents were always really big on education so the transition to college was pretty easy for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, like many of his peers, his college years have come with their fair share of challenges. During his 2020 football season, he left the field with a foot injury \u2013 requiring him to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. And then COVID came calling \u2013 forcing McKay, like every other college student, to transition to a new, virtual learning environment. Like most of us, McKay looked for new outlets to express his creativity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was the pandemic and I was stuck at home and eating a lot of food. I love cooking so I started my own blog called The Foodie Giant,\u201d McKay says. \u201cI figured people would be interested in reading what a college athlete cooks and eats.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\"><div class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-fact ncst-fact has-red-400-text-color\"><span class=\"ncst-icon\"><svg data-name=\"Layer 1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" size=\"75\"><path d=\"M216.06 401.07v-8.19H0v27.65h512v-27.65H297v8.19M194.56 151.89h217.09v10.24H194.56zM194.56 173.39h217.09v10.24H194.56zM194.56 195.92h54.27v9.22h-54.27zM96.26 144.72h71.68v71.68H96.26zM194.56 256.33h217.09v10.24H194.56zM194.56 277.84h217.09v10.24H194.56zM194.56 300.37h106.5v10.24h-106.5zM96.26 247.12h71.68v71.68H96.26z\"><\/path><path d=\"M469 378.19H42V91.47h427zM62.46 357.71h386.05V112h-386z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><h2 class=\"fact__heading\">McKay&#8217;s blog, The Foodie Giant, now has nearly 500 subscribers<\/h2><p class=\"fact__support\"><\/p><\/div>\n\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n\n<p>He was right. Soon after, The Foodie Giant amassed nearly 500 subscribers. However, once football resumed the following year, the demands on his time forced him to put the idea on the back burner.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo make it as a student-athlete, you have to have a good handle on your time,\u201d McKay shares. \u201cHaving a schedule and routine is critical, and I constantly have to prioritize what is most important. And for me, academics and athletics had to come first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Mind for Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>McKay started his academic journey at NC State pursuing a degree in sports management but later felt the pull to dive deeper into the world of business. He transferred to the Poole College of Management to pursue a degree in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. When I was a kid, my friends and I had a business selling tie-dyed socks. I\u2019ve always been interested in business ideation and thinking through different ways to do things,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"has-custombg-one-text-color wp-block-ncst-pullquote\">\n  <div class=\"pullquote-container\">\n    <p class=\"pullquote-content\">&#8220;I\u2019ve always been interested in business ideation and thinking through different ways to do things.&#8221;<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, when his football injury resulted in multiple doctor\u2019s appointments, he couldn\u2019t help but notice all the healthcare technology around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI thought there was a way to develop a more aesthetically pleasing medical record system, so I put together a pitch video and entered it into the 2021 Lulu eGames \u2013 NC State\u2019s largest annual startup competition,\u201d he says. \u201cI won an award for the IBM Build on Cloud division. However, I was unable to accept the prize money as a student-athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for McKay, the ideas \u2013 not the money \u2013 are what drives him. And that\u2019s why making it to the NFL isn\u2019t the entire dream. Instead, it\u2019s what will enable the dream.<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"has-custombg-one-text-color wp-block-ncst-pullquote\">\n  <div class=\"pullquote-container\">\n    <p class=\"pullquote-content\">&#8220;To sign with an NFL team would provide money that would enable me to have some seed funding to put into startups. That&#8217;s my long-term goal.&#8221;<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo sign with an NFL team would provide money that would enable me to have some seed funding to put into startups,\u201d McKay says. \u201cThat\u2019s my long-term goal. During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time learning about venture capital and I want to have funding to put into some early-stage tech companies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding His Voice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>McKay\u2019s passion for technology and start-ups also led him to Twitter where he hoped to learn from some of the country\u2019s brightest minds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll of the tech people are on Twitter, so I started tweeting my own thoughts on business and athletics,\u201d McKay says. And when the NCAA approved a name, image and likeness (NIL) policy in July 2021, McKay found that Twitter was happy to have his voice \u2013 as a Division I athlete \u2013 enter the larger conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-3-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-512618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-3-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-3-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-3-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-3.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>McKay attending the first annual NIL Summit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n<p>This summer, McKay was invited to attend the first annual<a href=\"https:\/\/nilsummit.com\/about\/\"> NIL Summit<\/a> in Atlanta \u2013 and even offered tips for athletes looking to make the most of their time at the conference. He, of course, live-tweeted from the summit, which was held at the College Football Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m using Twitter to make connections and build my personal brand by talking about things that are of interest to me like technology, start-ups and NIL,\u201d McKay says. \u201cNot many college athletes are sharing on that platform.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Making Connections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>McKay knows that connections are the key to success, which is one of the reasons why \u2013&nbsp;after graduating with his undergraduate degree in summer 2022 \u2013&nbsp;he decided to continue his studies at Poole College in the new <a href=\"https:\/\/ma.poole.ncsu.edu\/\">Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA)<\/a> program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know that data and analytics are really the future of business. And that\u2019s not just in healthcare \u2013 which I&#8217;m particularly interested in \u2013 but all industries,\u201d McKay says. \u201cI trust Poole College to not only help me understand how to work with and manipulate data to create actionable insights, but also to provide me with connections to people. All the knowledge in the world is useless unless you have connections \u2013 and the NC State community is very well-connected.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"has-custombg-one-text-color wp-block-ncst-pullquote\">\n  <div class=\"pullquote-container\">\n    <p class=\"pullquote-content\">&#8220;I trust Poole College to not only help me understand how to work with and manipulate data to create actionable insights, but also to provide me with connections to people.&#8221;<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Connections will be important to McKay going forward as he continues to dream big about life after school \u2013 and sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFootball won\u2019t last forever, so having my master\u2019s degree is big. Long-term, I really want to work in the startup space,\u201d McKay says.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"631\" src=\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-4-1024x631.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-512619\" srcset=\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-4-1024x631.png 1024w, https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-4-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-4-768x474.png 768w, https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-4.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>McKay&#8217;s recent tweet on public transportation that caught the attention of the News and Observer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n<p>And his recent tweet following a trip to Charlotte showed just how many ideas he has. Inspired by the city\u2019s light rail, McKay tweeted about his desire to see something similar in Raleigh.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His Tweet got the attention of News &amp; Observer reporter Jonas Pope, who then wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/sports\/college\/acc\/nc-state\/article262122762.html\">an article&nbsp;<\/a>about McKay \u2013 the big man with the big plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If all works out the way he plans, McKay sees his future right here in the Triangle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI love Raleigh. My family is here. This is my home,\u201d McKay says. \u201cThis is a great city to continue nurturing tech start-ups. I want to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<!-- wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n<!-- wp:ncst\/default-immersive-post-header \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><em>By Caroline Barnhill<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ex-food blogger. eGame winner. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsasports.org\/name-image-likeness\">NIL<\/a> thought leader. Tech enthusiast. Wolfpack football stand-out. Tim McKay has his hand in a little bit of everything. Since beginning his journey at NC State at 16, he\u2019s tackled all these roles and responsibilities \u2013 and then some \u2013 with a desire to make the most of his academic career. And with eyes on the future, he\u2019s just getting started.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The youngest of four brothers, McKay is an offensive lineman for the Wolfpack. Like every Division I student-athlete, his life is full of demands. He talks about these and his early start to college, however, the way most people talk about their trip to the grocery store. To him, it\u2019s nothing extraordinary \u2013 what is hard work for most is simply daily life.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI skipped a grade when I was younger and was able to graduate high school early,\u201d McKay says. \u201cFootball brought me to NC State. My parents were always really big on education so the transition to college was pretty easy for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>However, like many of his peers, his college years have come with their fair share of challenges. During his 2020 football season, he left the field with a foot injury \u2013 requiring him to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. And then COVID came calling \u2013 forcing McKay, like every other college student, to transition to a new, virtual learning environment. Like most of us, McKay looked for new outlets to express his creativity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cIt was the pandemic and I was stuck at home and eating a lot of food. I love cooking so I started my own blog called The Foodie Giant,\u201d McKay says. \u201cI figured people would be interested in reading what a college athlete cooks and eats.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-widget default right-aside\"><!-- wp:ncst\/aside-fact {\"svgSlug\":\"laptop\",\"heading\":\"McKay's blog, The Foodie Giant, now has nearly 500 subscribers\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-aside-fact ncst-fact has-red-400-text-color\"><span class=\"ncst-icon\"><svg data-name=\"Layer 1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" size=\"75\"><path d=\"M216.06 401.07v-8.19H0v27.65h512v-27.65H297v8.19M194.56 151.89h217.09v10.24H194.56zM194.56 173.39h217.09v10.24H194.56zM194.56 195.92h54.27v9.22h-54.27zM96.26 144.72h71.68v71.68H96.26zM194.56 256.33h217.09v10.24H194.56zM194.56 277.84h217.09v10.24H194.56zM194.56 300.37h106.5v10.24h-106.5zM96.26 247.12h71.68v71.68H96.26z\"><\/path><path d=\"M469 378.19H42V91.47h427zM62.46 357.71h386.05V112h-386z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><h2 class=\"fact__heading\">McKay's blog, The Foodie Giant, now has nearly 500 subscribers<\/h2><p class=\"fact__support\"><\/p><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-fact --><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/aside-widget -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>He was right. Soon after, The Foodie Giant amassed nearly 500 subscribers. However, once football resumed the following year, the demands on his time forced him to put the idea on the back burner.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cTo make it as a student-athlete, you have to have a good handle on your time,\u201d McKay shares. \u201cHaving a schedule and routine is critical, and I constantly have to prioritize what is most important. And for me, academics and athletics had to come first.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2>A Mind for Business<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>McKay started his academic journey at NC State pursuing a degree in sports management but later felt the pull to dive deeper into the world of business. He transferred to the Poole College of Management to pursue a degree in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. When I was a kid, my friends and I had a business selling tie-dyed socks. I\u2019ve always been interested in business ideation and thinking through different ways to do things,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"\\u0022I\u2019ve always been interested in business ideation and thinking through different ways to do things.\\u0022\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color has-quotes\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">I\u2019ve always been interested in business ideation and thinking through different ways to do things.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>For example, when his football injury resulted in multiple doctor\u2019s appointments, he couldn\u2019t help but notice all the healthcare technology around him.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI thought there was a way to develop a more aesthetically pleasing medical record system, so I put together a pitch video and entered it into the 2021 Lulu eGames \u2013 NC State\u2019s largest annual startup competition,\u201d he says. \u201cI won an award for the IBM Build on Cloud division. However, I was unable to accept the prize money as a student-athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>But for McKay, the ideas \u2013 not the money \u2013 are what drives him. And that\u2019s why making it to the NFL isn\u2019t the entire dream. Instead, it\u2019s what will enable the dream.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"\\u0022To sign with an NFL team would provide money that would enable me to have some seed funding to put into startups. That's my long-term goal.\\u0022\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color has-quotes\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">To sign with an NFL team would provide money that would enable me to have some seed funding to put into startups. That's my long-term goal.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cTo sign with an NFL team would provide money that would enable me to have some seed funding to put into startups,\u201d McKay says. \u201cThat\u2019s my long-term goal. During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time learning about venture capital and I want to have funding to put into some early-stage tech companies.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2>Finding His Voice<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>McKay\u2019s passion for technology and start-ups also led him to Twitter where he hoped to learn from some of the country\u2019s brightest minds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cAll of the tech people are on Twitter, so I started tweeting my own thoughts on business and athletics,\u201d McKay says. And when the NCAA approved a name, image and likeness (NIL) policy in July 2021, McKay found that Twitter was happy to have his voice \u2013 as a Division I athlete \u2013 enter the larger conversation.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\"><!-- wp:image {\"id\":512618,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-3-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-512618\"\/><figcaption>McKay attending the first annual NIL Summit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This summer, McKay was invited to attend the first annual<a href=\"https:\/\/nilsummit.com\/about\/\"> NIL Summit<\/a> in Atlanta \u2013 and even offered tips for athletes looking to make the most of their time at the conference. He, of course, live-tweeted from the summit, which was held at the College Football Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m using Twitter to make connections and build my personal brand by talking about things that are of interest to me like technology, start-ups and NIL,\u201d McKay says. \u201cNot many college athletes are sharing on that platform.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2>Making Connections<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>McKay knows that connections are the key to success, which is one of the reasons why \u2013&nbsp;after graduating with his undergraduate degree in summer 2022 \u2013&nbsp;he decided to continue his studies at Poole College in the new <a href=\"https:\/\/ma.poole.ncsu.edu\/\">Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA)<\/a> program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI know that data and analytics are really the future of business. And that\u2019s not just in healthcare \u2013 which I'm particularly interested in \u2013 but all industries,\u201d McKay says. \u201cI trust Poole College to not only help me understand how to work with and manipulate data to create actionable insights, but also to provide me with connections to people. All the knowledge in the world is useless unless you have connections \u2013 and the NC State community is very well-connected.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"\\u0022I trust Poole College to not only help me understand how to work with and manipulate data to create actionable insights, but also to provide me with connections to people.\\u0022\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color has-quotes\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">I trust Poole College to not only help me understand how to work with and manipulate data to create actionable insights, but also to provide me with connections to people.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Connections will be important to McKay going forward as he continues to dream big about life after school \u2013 and sports.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cFootball won\u2019t last forever, so having my master\u2019s degree is big. Long-term, I really want to work in the startup space,\u201d McKay says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n<section class=\"wp-block-ncst-image-grid\"><!-- wp:image {\"id\":512619,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2022\/09\/Tim-McKay-4-1024x631.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-512619\"\/><figcaption>McKay's recent tweet on public transportation that caught the attention of the News and Observer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image --><\/section>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/image-grid -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>And his recent tweet following a trip to Charlotte showed just how many ideas he has. Inspired by the city\u2019s light rail, McKay tweeted about his desire to see something similar in Raleigh.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>His Tweet got the attention of News &amp; Observer reporter Jonas Pope, who then wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/sports\/college\/acc\/nc-state\/article262122762.html\">an article&nbsp;<\/a>about McKay \u2013 the big man with the big plans.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>If all works out the way he plans, McKay sees his future right here in the Triangle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI love Raleigh. My family is here. This is my home,\u201d McKay says. \u201cThis is a great city to continue nurturing tech start-ups. I want to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NC State Football star and incoming Poole College Masters of Management, Marketing Analytics student Tim McKay has big dreams for Raleigh\u2026 and himself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":512617,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":false,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"backgroundColor\":\"red_400\",\"subtitle\":\"<em>NC State Football star and incoming Poole College Masters of Management, Marketing Analytics student has big dreams for Raleigh\u2026 and himself<\/em>.\",\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":5}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[35],"class_list":["post-512616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-alumni"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":5,"name":"Student and Alumni Success","slug":"student-alumni","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":38,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=512616"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":512622,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512616\/revisions\/512622"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/512617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=512616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=512616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=512616"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=512616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}