Impact of Scholarship

The opportunity of academic scholarships has helped students from all backgrounds earn a college degree for decades at NC State. 

Since our formation in 1990, the Poole College of Management has made the same commitment to our students through scholarships generously funded by our donors. With these scholarships, students have pursued academic research, extracurricular activities, professional endeavors and global opportunities. 

Poole students Yahssain Khan, Jordan Bowman and Chantel Hinton share their stories on their NC State experience through the gift of scholarship. 

Yahssain Khan

Senior (‘20) business administration major and psychology minor

Scholarship: VF Corporation Scholarship

Impact of Scholarship: Yahssain

The VF Corporation Scholarship is currently impacting me by relieving some significant financial stress during my senior year. Wrapping up my time at NC State, graduating, and figuring out what my next steps are is already stressful enough as it is. The scholarship has allowed me to focus on academic success by allowing me to finish strong.  It’s also given me the confidence to work toward a better future for myself and my family. 

Moving forward, I think the scholarship will serve as a reminder of the importance of giving back. When I reflect on an experience, I sometimes have a hard time deciding what would be a meaningful way to say thank you or give back. Seeing the impact the scholarship had on me can serve as a case study on meaningful philanthropy. 

Scholarships are extremely important because they give assistance to people who genuinely need it. As tuition costs continue to rise, scholarships can reduce the impact students feel because of it. It can give students a foundation where they can finally take the leap and enroll in a community college or university. The morale boost I mentioned earlier also applies here. The feeling of affirmation when someone believes in you is something every student should experience. The morale boost that comes with the feeling is something that puts things into perspective and can motivate students to do their best. 

Donor: VF Corporation — Mick Reed, senior director of strategy and enterprise risk management

VF has enjoyed a multi-year collaborative and strategic partnership with NC State that includes engagements by leaders in our corporate business units and brands with students, faculty, and staff at Poole College of Management, Wilson College of Textile, and the College of Design.

Our VF Foundation-sponsored scholarships at Poole College are charitable gifts intended to attract talented students toward careers in business-related fields; support the development of career and leadership skills; promote sustainability, diversity & inclusion initiatives; and sponsor talented students from under-serviced communities.

Jordan Bowman

Senior (‘20) business administration major and nonprofit studies minor

Scholarship: Herb and Elizabeth Bales Scholarship

Impact of Scholarship: Jordan

This past year, thanks to a generous scholarship from Herb and Elizabeth Bales, I have been able to attend classes in the Poole College of Management and run my nonprofit, Journeymen Triangle, a local mentoring organization that teaches emotional intelligence to middle and high schools boys. Before opportunities like the Herb and Elizabeth Bales scholarship, I was attending school part time and working two part-time jobs in addition to managing Journeymen. Now, I am dedicating more time and energy to taking what I am learning at Poole College and applying it to my business endeavors.

I also have the freedom to pursue extracurricular activities that make me a better person and leader, like being a Social Innovation Fellow or working with the Business Sustainability Collaborative. 

I believe that scholarships are the most powerful investment in any portfolio. They are an investment in the future, with a return that is immeasurable and indispensable. Graduating with little to no student debt is a freedom that I wish more people had the privilege to experience. 

Donors: Herb Bales ‘84 and Elizabeth Bales ‘84

We have a sense of gratitude, wanting to give back, allow others to experience what we experienced, the benefits that we experienced at North Carolina State; and to give an opportunity to the young folks coming after us who might not have an opportunity if the scholarship were not there.”

We have the privilege of helping somebody who might not have a chance. It’s not always the people who are the most privileged or have the best grades who do the best things in the world. Other people deserve a chance.

That’s one of the things that fascinated us about Poole College of Management. It has this innovation-in-technology focus, which is far different than accounting 50 years ago or business management 50 years ago. The world is changing and Poole College is keeping up with the world, leading the world.”

Chantel Hinton

MBA candidate (‘20), marketing and innovation management concentration

Scholarship: Owens Graduate Fellowship

Impact of Scholarship: Chantel

The scholarship has allowed me to focus solely on my education, and it has also allowed me to have a clear mind and focus on my career path when I graduate, without the financial burden.

What’s unique about my fellowship is that it has allowed me to not only focus and succeed in the classroom, but I can also do things outside of the classroom. For example, I am the [youngest] member of a nonprofit called Communities In Schools of Wake County. I went from being a student of the program to a brand ambassador and now on the board. This wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t have a clear state of mind and I wasn’t supported by NC State while earning my degree. 

One thing I want to say about scholarships in general is that they level the playing field. My cohort is very diverse when it comes to backgrounds … . This scholarship has allowed me to compete on a playing field with them that wouldn’t have been possible without this type of financial funding. I really appreciate this funding because it has allowed me a seat at the table.

Purpose of Scholarship

The fellowship was established by the Caterpillar Foundation in the name of Dr. James W. Owens, former chairman and CEO of Caterpillar. The fellowship provides financial aid for students in the Jenkins Graduate School, and it has supported over 36 graduate students across MBA, master of accounting, GLAM and economics programs since its establishment.