{"id":227013,"date":"2026-05-04T15:00:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T19:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=227013"},"modified":"2026-05-04T15:48:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T19:48:06","slug":"poole-college-celebrates-class-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/04\/poole-college-celebrates-class-of-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Poole College Celebrates Class of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Nearly 1,000 undergraduate students are set to cross the stage at Reynolds Coliseum on May 9 to become graduates of the Poole College of Management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“On behalf of our entire Poole College community, I would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to the class of 2026,” says Poole College Dean Frank Buckless. “We are very proud of what you have accomplished, and we can’t wait to see where your paths lead next.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet Five of Our Graduates <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Asa Humphries, Accounting
and Business Administration,
Finance Concentration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asa Humphries has made a lasting impact during his time in Poole College. He is co-founder and president of the Queer Business Student Association, a member of the Poole Student Advisory Board, and a founding member of the Poole Undergraduate Student Hub (P.U.S.H.) Advocates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing involved in so many facets of the college has allowed me to meet incredibly talented individuals and create meaningful impact,\u201d says Humphries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humphries participated in three internships as a Poole student, with Murray Group CPA, Grubb Properties and Cisco. After graduation, he will join Cisco\u2019s Leaders in Finance & Tech (LIFT) program as a financial analyst in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Hannah Justice
Accounting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The daughter of an accounting professor, Hannah Justice joined Poole College as a human resources major, vowing “never to touch accounting.” But after taking her first accounting class, she realized she “absolutely loved it” and changed her major. Today, she says, “It’s been a blessing to follow in my father’s footsteps!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her time at NC State, Justice served as president of the Poole Student Advisory Board and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and was a member of Beta Alpha Psi. She also served as a student worker for Vikas Anand, Poole’s associate dean of academic programs \u2014 a role she says shaped her professional trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people here saw more potential in me than I saw in myself, and helped me grow into more than I ever thought I could be,\u201d Justice said. \u201cI am able to graduate feeling as though I made a difference, just as this experience made a difference in me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduation, Justice will relocate to Charlotte for an internship with Elliott Davis.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Samantha McCune, Economics
and Communications,
PR Concentration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A first-generation college student, Samantha McCune earned her associate’s degree from Johnston Community College just one year after graduating from high school, then transferred to NC State to major in communications. She added an economics major after falling in love with the subject during an intro course taught by Poole College’s Allison Lowe Reed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCune embraced professional development and leadership opportunities at NC State. She served as digital communications officer for the Public Relations Student Society of America, as a communications intern with Poole College, and as an insurance intern with Atlantic Casualty Insurance Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Since joining Poole, I have grown immensely as a professional and feel prepared to enter the corporate world after graduation because of the opportunities and resources that I took advantage of,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few days after graduation, McCune will start a full-time position with Ferguson Enterprises as a quotations coordinator. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Kylee O\u2019Keefe
Business Administration,
Marketing Concentration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kylee O’Keefe balanced high-level campus leadership with entrepreneurial spirit as a first-generation college student at NC State. She served as president of the university’s Student Alumni Association Ambassadors and was a Poole College Ambassador, as well as a member of Women in Business and the American Marketing Association \u2014 all while founding her own photography company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My favorite thing about Poole College of Management is the strong sense of community,” she says. “Despite being part of a large university like NC State, Poole maintains a close-knit, supportive environment. It\u2019s easy to build meaningful relationships with classmates and connect with professors, which makes the overall experience feel more personal, engaging and collaborative.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For her outstanding service to the university, O’Keefe was recently awarded the Mathews Medal, the highest non-academic distinction for NC State students. Her diverse internship experiences, including stints with Johnson Brothers Mutual Distributing, Parker Hannifin, and Poole College, have prepared her for her next step: pursuing a full-time marketing career in Raleigh.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ruby Zuniga-Trejo
Business Administration,
Marketing Concentration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A first-generation college student, Ruby Zuniga-Trejo credits much of her personal and professional transformation to the ELEVATE Mentorship Program<\/a>. She served as a peer career coach with the Poole College Career Center<\/a> and held leadership positions as secretary of the Peer Career Coaches and executive of marketing for P.U.S.H. Advocates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The ELEVATE Mentorship Program helped me grow,” she says. “I had felt lost and unsure of my place then became someone who found her confidence, direction and voice. I appreciate the Poole Career team with all my heart.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zuniga-Trejo also fulfilled a lifelong dream during her time in Poole by studying abroad in Paris, becoming the first in her family to travel outside the continent. After graduation, she will begin a full-time position with Enterprise Mobility in Cary, North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n