Poole College Recognizes 284 Graduates at Dec. 17 Ceremony

On Saturday, December 17, 2011, 284 students of the NC State Poole College of Management celebrated their collegiate achievements at the college’s commencement ceremony view photos on Flickr held at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C.

Of these, one, Gulcan Onel, received a doctoral degree in economics; nine received master’s degrees in economics; and three received master’s degrees in accounting. Two hundred and forty-three received bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business administration or economics. Among these are several students who completed their academic requirements at the end of the summer sessions in 2011, as well as students in various university honors and scholars programs, listed below.

Dr. Ira R. Weiss, dean of the college, welcomed the students and members of their families, and introduced the student commencement speaker, Amada Wallner. In her remarks, Wallner conveyed sentiments gathered from her fellow students, covering three basic themes. Read excerpts of Wallner’s speech.

As has been the college’s tradition for the past six years, the college’s commencement ceremony concluded with a Poole College Pinning Ceremony. Weiss pinned the college’s fall 2011 Board of Advisors Outstanding Student Award recipient, and then invited all the fall 2011 graduates to pin fellow graduates in the assembly.

Weiss also encouraged the graduates to pass along their new pins to alumni they meet as they start their careers, and to request a new pin from the college. Alumni who do not have a new Poole College of Management pin may contact the college’s director of development and alumni relations.

Dr. Shannon Davis, associate dean for undergraduate programs in the college, announced the 11 finalists for the Board of Advisors Outstanding Student Award, noting that 23 students had been nominated by their faculty for the award. Criteria for this award include demonstrated leadership and engagement, and participation in personal and professional growth experiences at NC State.

Finalists for the fall 2011 Poole College Board of Advisors Outstanding Student Award are:

• Alex Allen
• Clarissa Darice Beaty
• Hayley S. Burrus
• Tallmadge Jeffrey Farringer
• Chad Everett McElreath
• Jeanette Elise Paige
• Janne Aleksi Rusanen
• Diane Leigh Sexton
• Anne Marie Strickland
• Zane Samuel Tharakan

• Christopher P. Witek

Jeannette Paige, originally from Pikeville, N.C., was selected to receive the Outstanding Student Award. She had graduated in August 2011 with a major in accounting and a concentration in internal audit and a minor in Spanish, and chose to participate in the fall semester commencement program.

While an undergraduate student, Paige had earned Dean’s List honors all eight semesters, participated in the University Scholars Program, and was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma international business honor society. She also was an accounting teaching assistant during her senior year.

Beyond the classroom, Paige served as a Poole College of Management Student Ambassador, was a University Housing Resident Advisor and president of the National Association of Black Accountants student chapter based in Poole College.

She completed a study abroad program in Madrid, Spain, in spring 2010, and had audit internships with PricewaterhouseCoopers for three summers in Raleigh, N.C. Currently, Paige is enrolled in Poole College’s Jenkins Master of Accounting program. When she completes the program in May 2012, she will begin employment as an audit associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers in McLean, Va.

Davis also announced the highest ranking seniors in the college’s three undergraduate degree programs, as follows.

Highest Ranking Seniors (University Valedictorians)

• Frederick Stephen Brown, Jr., Seagrove, N.C. | Majors, economics and statistics. Activities and achievements: University Scholars Program, National Society of Collegiate Scholars; member, Stats Club. Hometown: Seagrove, N.C. Future: will be entering a master of analytics program.

• Mary Virginia Gregg, Tarboro, N.C. | Major, business administration, finance concentration; international studies, international relations concentration. Activities and achievements: Park Scholar, inducted into Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society, Poole College Student Ambassador, member of the Chancellor’s Aides, and president of Nourish International; study abroad in Perugia, Italy, and Linz, Austria; internships with the N.C. House of Representatives, American Red Cross, Credit Suisse and Sagemark Consulting. Future: associate consultant, Deloitte Consulting, Atlanta, Ga.

• Kara Alyce Hall, Eden, N.C. | Major, accounting, managerial concentration. Activities and achievements: inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies; tutor, Academic Support Program for student athletes; substitute teacher, Rockingham County Schools; treasurer, Poole College student Accounting Society; member, Supply Chain Club, Wolfpack Club, Students Today Alumni Tomorrow, APICS, and Institute for Supply Chain Management; accounting intern, Rockingham County Government Finance Department. Future: interviewing for positions in supply chain and accounting and considering Master of Accounting programs.

• Yuliya Sergeyevna Morris, Ufa, Russia | Major, business administration, finance concentration, and accounting, internal audit concentration. Activities and achievements: inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma and Beta Alpha Psi honor societies; active in the NCSU Accounting Society; management intern, Kohl’s Department Store; assurance intern, Ernst & Young. Future: staff auditor, Ernst & Young, Raleigh, N.C.

• Ashley Elizabeth Waid, Wethersfield, Conn. | Major, accounting, internal audit concentration. Activities and achievements: member, Beta Alpha Psi honorary society, and service vice president, Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity; member, Poole College Student Ambassador; teaching assistant, accounting; study abroad in Oxford, England; operations analyst intern, Credit Suisse; assurance intern, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Future: completing her Master of Accounting program (spring 2012) at the University of Notre Dame and employment at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Charlotte, N.C.

• Christopher P. Witek, Charlotte, N.C. | Major, business administration, operations/supply chain management concentration; minor, accounting. Activities and achievements: member, Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity, and Poole College’s Supply Chain Club; NC State Alternative Spring Break in spring 2010, in Mexico. Future: travel in Europe, then will work full time while pursing an MBA with a supply chain focus.

Also recognized in the program were student in honors and scholars programs.

• Hamilton Scholars (dual degree in business and international studies) | Grayson Parrish Ferrell, George Kariuki, Alexandre Kaliberdine, Dianne Leigh Sexton, Alyssa Marie Starnes, Alex Niles Westin

• Park Scholars | Mary Virginia Gregg, Brian Christopher McKearney

• University Honors | Meghan Marie Drake, Benton McKenzie Jones, Sean B. Klemm, Vishal Uppala, Sarah Elizabeth Weber

• University Scholars | Mary Virginia Gregg, Kara Alyce Hall, Hayley Nicole Mason, Chad E. McElreath, Scott A. Richardson, Dianne Leigh Sexton, Carol Grace Speir