BusIness Leaders THE MAGAZINE OF THE WALKER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AT APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Special Edition: Embracing the Future
Walker College Dean Heather Norris, front row, second from right, with Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri N. Everts, center, and members of Appalachian's 2018-19 administration on the newly developed Founders Plaza on campus.
2018-19 Business Leaders Magazine The Business Leaders Magazine is published annually by the Office of the Dean for alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University.
Administration Dean Heather Norris
Associate Deans
Sam Formby, Undergraduate Programs and Accreditation Martin Meznar, Global and Civic Engagement Sandra Vannoy, Graduate Programs and Research
Development
Will Sears, Executive Director of Development Joe Helton, Assistant Director of Development
Managing Editor Haley Childers
Layout and Design Emma Spear
Writers
Audrey Gurkin Michael Meznar Javon Nathaniel
Photographers Andrew Carros Sabrina Cheves Marie Freeman Austin Lawrence Chase Reynolds Troy Tuttle
Appalachian State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students or employees on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disabling condition or sexual orientation. Appalachian also actively promotes diversity among students and employees.
A Message from the Dean We’re thinking about the future now more than ever. With today’s age of disruption, what kinds of jobs will exist in the future? In what types of businesses and industries? And with what sets of cultural and professional norms? While none of us has a crystal ball to perfectly predict the future, one thing we do know for certain is that we need to prepare our students for a world of uncertainty. It is critical that we provide them with much-needed resources and develop in them knowledge, skills, ability, and confidence so that they can adapt to, thrive in, and ultimately succeed and lead in an ever-changing world. In this edition of Business Leaders Magazine, you'll read about how programs like Aspire IT (page 6), the Martha Guy Summer Institute (page 10), and Gear Up (page 13) are recruiting youth in the state and region and preparing them for the future. You'll learn how we first bring future business leaders to campus and why folding many into the Appalachian Family at an earlier age is part of better serving our communities. You'll also read about how we’re positioning our undergraduates to envision the future through unique experiential learning opportunities and mentorship programs that cross geographic, cultural, and disciplinary bounds. On page 18, you’ll learn about our students’ peer mentoring program, which fosters a sense of connectedness; on page 20, you’ll see the impact of our student internships, which instill a sense of confidence; and on pages 22 and
24, you’ll get a glimpse of two of our global learning opportunities, which encourage a sense of worldwide community. Indeed, our students are learning from one another and transcending international borders, becoming better prepared to make a positive difference in the world of the future. But recruiting for and envisioning the future are not enough. In order to be successful, we must also invest in the future. On page 26, you'll see an image of our scholarship donors, the benefactors who are creating the means for many to thrive in their Appalachian Experience. On page 31, you'll read about the impact of alumni giving on students. And on page 32, you'll read about our Dean's Club, and how its members are contributing to the success of future young professionals. I encourage you to connect often with our students, faculty and staff. With your support, we will empower our students to succeed and lead in the unknown future.
Heather Norris Dean, Walker College of Business
Photo by Andrew Carros.
Recruiting for the Future Envisioning the Future Investing in the Future
Contents
6
Aspire IT
Appalachian's newest summer outreach helps girls grow in STEM fields
10
MGSI Today
13
GEAR UP
The 15-year-old business exploration summer program evolves Sparking a flame for entrepreneurship in the region’s elementary, middle and high school students
22
Global Travel
32
Where are they now?
38
Keeping Pace
The Anne Cannon Trust makes possible world travel, transformational experiences
Eight young alumni who benefited from the Dean's Club share updates
Leveraging the Appalachian alumni network helps ensure a dynamic curriculum
The Aspire IT summer outreach offers STEM education to fourth through ninth grade girls. It's one of many programs in the Walker College bringing future business leaders to Appalachian. Pictured are 2018 participants with co-leaders and mentors on the patio of Peacock Hall. Photo submitted.
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Recruiting for the Future
Aspire IT
Dr. Lakshmi Iyer Helps Pave the Way to New Career Paths
By: Javon Nathaniel and Michael Meznar
Director of the Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics program, Dr. Lakshmi Iyer (front row, left) is an integral part of the college's graduate programs and research team. Also pictured, front row, is Dr. Sandra Vannoy, associate dean for graduate programs and research, and team members (back row, from left): Kim Kirby, Wendy Deng and Ken White. Photo submitted.
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In an age of ever-evolving technology it may be less relevant to ask youth what they want to be when they grow up but rather what problems they plan to solve.
Innovate for Good Innovate for Good is a new initiative founded at Appalachian State University by Dr. Lakshmi Iyer, program director for Appalachian's Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics (MSADA) program and professor of computer information systems in the Walker College of Business. Aimed at promoting interdisciplinary activities to arrive at innovative solutions to address social problems, Iyer's first program— the Aspire IT summer outreach—launched in Summer 2018. Participants (fourth through ninth grade girls) explored STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and career paths.
Partly funded by the National Center for Women in IT (NCWIT) and supported by the American Association of University Women Greensboro Branch, the Aspire IT program is key to advancing STEM knowledge in North Carolina and to cultivating education in new career paths given today's changing landscape.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts a 24 percent increase in demand for jobs with data analytics skills over the next eight years. As organizations increasingly rely upon both structured and unstructured large-scale data for operational and strategic decision-making, they need employees who possess the requisite skills. To help bridge the gap between demand and skills, the Walker College created the MSADA program in 2016 and brought Dr. Iyer aboard to lead its efforts in 2017. Dr. Iyer is looking ahead; she's developing the next generation of critical-thinking problemsolvers through Aspire IT.
Women in IT A key component of the Aspire IT program is the mentorship between participants and program co-leaders like Aleah Brown, who has made teaching young girls her mission. She explained why STEM is important for girls.
"There are not a lot of females in STEM career fields," said Brown. "It is very important to me because whenever I go to a STEM-related camp or class, girls are always the minority.”
Recent research from the U.S. Department of Commerce indicated that women make up only
25% of STEM workers in America. Programs like Aspire IT are working to improve this statistic.
Giving students the fundamentals of programming not only gives them an advantage in the future job market, but also builds critical thinking skills. “I love seeing that Aha! moment,” said Brown. “When they say ‘I figured this out on my own,’ then I know that I’m teaching them how to work through the process.” Creating a fun environment that is conducive to learning may seem challenging to some, but Aspire IT seamlessly blurs that line.
“This camp is really fun,” said Christa Simaan, another co-leader. “I get to be a teacher for the girls and share new things, especially since this is the first year [at Appalachian]. Most of the girls haven’t used these materials before, and they are really intrigued. It's a lot of fun to teach kids who are really excited!”
Integrating evolving technologies into classroom learning, Aspire IT uses platforms that are adaptable to younger students. Programs like MIT App Inventor, which simplifies coding and helps lead to better understanding and participation for the middle school-aged demographic, are key.
“MIT App Inventor is an interactive dragand-drop based programming environment,” said Advika Kumar, a 2015 participant-turnedco-leader. “It’s visual, so the girls can see all of their code instead of having to learn more complicated syntax. Our nine-year-old campers are already coding their own apps!”
By taking away the intimidation factor to coding, the program has made the learning process more enjoyable and relatable to younger students. “When I first came here as a camper, programming was a scary word to me,” said Kumar. “I always imagined it being older guys sitting at their computers in cubicles, but it really isn’t! There are so many inspiring role models I’ve met at this camp. We are introducing the girls to leaders who they can look up to and to jobs they can work toward.”
Dr. Sandra Vannoy, associate dean for graduate programs and research in the Walker College, spoke to the intellect of the program participants. "I was impressed by the insights and abilities demonstrated by these young ladies,” she said. “Seeing girls as young as fourth grade build robots, work with sensors and read
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Summer 2018 Aspire IT participants work together on a STEM project. Photo by Sabrina Cheves.
and interpret data is truly amazing.”
Vannoy added that, as a female who has spent a long career working in a technical field, “I understand some of the challenges facing young girls as they consider what they want to be when they grow up. This camp instills the confidence that these young people can do anything they want to do."
Approaching Societal Problems Participants develop critical thinking skills culminating in final projects that include presentations on a societal problem and a game or animation sequence that contributes to a solution. In 2018, the participants chose to work on topics including pollution, bullying and access to education. The games and animations developed for the final projects were created in Scratch Animation, a free online program provided by MIT in which users can use online blocks of code.
Camp leaders and mentors like Maureen Nowak Allen, professor of computer information systems, are confident the participants will take their intellectual capital beyond the camp. “The girls learned life skills, built confidence and tackled adversity and technology taboos," said Allen. “It was inspirational to hear how each girl would apply the skills they learned on a daily basis in their life at home and school.”
Dr. Iyer added that Aspire IT is aligned with the work of NCWIT, which is a national non-profit focused on women's participation in computing across the entire ecosystem. NCWIT helps more than 1,100 organizations recruit, retain and advance women from K-12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers by providing support, evidence and action. Learn more about NCWIT at aspirations.org/aspirations-computing and about Aspire IT at innovate.appstate.edu.
Pictured, opposite page, are participants and co-leaders from the inaugural Aspire IT program. Back row, from left: Azariah Banks, Aidan Stroud, Leila Zwetsloot, Cloey Hadley and Christa Simaan. Front row, from left: Jazmine Cowan, Lauren Yu and Claudia Hooker. Photo submitted.
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Building Leaders
Martha Guy Summer Institute Director Barbara Rule Helps Evolve the Program
By: Michael Meznar and Haley Childers
Walker College of Business staff members and students, including Barbara Rule, second from left, are pictured helping the newest Mountaineers and their families get situated on campus during fall 2018 freshmen move-in. Photo submitted.
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When Martha Guy started out as an assistant cashier at Avery County Bank (ACB) at age nine, could she have anticipated the influence she’d come to spread on her community and industry? Through six decades of work at ACB, inhabiting every role from cashier to president, Guy has consistently demonstrated the importance of leadership and service, relationships and community. Across the years, she’s worked hard to give back, and programs like the Martha Guy Summer Institute (MGSI) for future business leaders steep prospective Appalachian State University students in those values.
The Martha Guy Summer Institute Founded in 2004 through a collaboration between Martha Guy and former chancellor and past dean of the Walker College of Business Ken Peacock, MGSI gives top high school students with an interest in business a three-week summer experience like none other. MGSI introduces participants to the business majors offered at the Walker College, connects them with notable members of industry, and teaches them a tremendous amount about themselves, their peers and the role of business within the world at large. “Before attending MGSI, I was unsure of what I wanted to study in college,” said Casmar (Cassie) Ramaswamy. “My parents encouraged me to major in business, but with so many different kinds of jobs within the field, I felt overwhelmed. On campus, college professors taught us introductory classes in all the fields of study—accounting, entrepreneurship and marketing, to name a few,” said Cassie. “The accounting and finance courses were my favorites, and now I plan to major in these subjects when I get to Appalachian as a freshman.”
King found the experience deeply enriching and said that helping others is key to a fulfilling life.
“The new service component is just one way the program is impacting others,” said King. “I was also able to grow alongside 24 high school students and build relationships with my leader cohort as well as faculty members. I found a friend and mentor in program director Barbara Rule, who I can go to now for anything!”
“The participants in the Martha Guy program are all so different, in the best way,” said King. “There was one participant who loved coin collecting, another who could talk about cars all day, another who could sing like Adele and 21 more unique students I could describe. Spending time with these students on campus and during travel helped me learn about leadership, mentorship and responsibility.” King found that her experience proved the immeasurable value relationships hold, and Ramaswamy echoed the sentiment. During one camp activity, each student wrote down the 25 most important things in their life (like people, goals and experiences), then narrowed down the list until one thing remained. “Once something was crossed off of the list, we were asked to imagine life without it,” said Ramaswamy. “The exercise really put things into perspective for me. Making these hard decisions made me realize that it is the people who are
A Focus on Others While the program has been effective for recruiting prospective students to Appalachian and demonstrating the wealth of offerings in the Walker College, it has evolved in recent years with leadership from program director Barbara Rule. Rule, a senior lecturer in the college’s Department of Marketing, directs MGSI and brings extensive knowledge of innovative teaching methods to the long-standing program. Rule, who also leads the Business Residential Learning Community at Appalachian, believes that building relationships is key to helping groups interact and has added a service component to the curriculum.
“Community is a core value at Appalachian,” said Rule. “The addition of a program leader-developed and student-led community service project allows students to better understand the value of giving back where they are.” The 2018 service project involved maintenance on the grounds at Boone-based Children’s Playhouse. Four current Appalachian business students serve as program leaders for MGSI, acting as mentors and chaperones for the participants. These students also benefit from the experience, as they cultivate strong relationships among the cohort and demonstrate the value of service. 2018 program leader Maggie
Cassie Ramaswamy is one of 24 students who participated in the 2018 Martha Guy Summer Institute. Cassie is pictured mid-service project in Boone. Photo submitted.
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Recruiting for the Future most important. Since, I have tried to focus on the relationships in my life. From spending more time with my family to allotting time to meet with friends, I have found that life is much more fulfilling when I focus on people.”
The Value of Giving Back Now 96, Miss Guy also spends her time focusing on people, and she enjoys being on campus with the students during the summer and taking a vested interest in them and their progress. She’s one of many industry titans and business leaders with whom the students interact as part of the program. While many professionals engage with the students on campus, the students also travel to New York City and Washington, D.C. to meet with industry representatives and Appalachian alumni. Among those leaders in D.C. is Michael McSwain ’10, Government and Public Affairs for Nike, who served as a program leader in 2008. As a host in D.C., McSwain provides valuable advice from a business perspective. “The opportunities the Martha Guy Summer Institute provides young high schools students are remarkable,” said McSwain. “As a program leader myself while in college, I met and engaged with business leaders who helped me launch and navigate my career. I am honored to be able to do the same for these prospective
“
The opportunities the Martha Guy Summer Institute provides high school students are remarkable.
Appalachian students.”
”
The 2019 Martha Guy Summer Institute As McSwain, Guy, Peacock, Rule and program leaders like King demonstrate, one of the best things about success and hard work is what it enables you to do for other people. It’s a powerful experience for high school students to see the capacity they have to positively influence their peers and community, now and into the future. The next camp is set for July 7-27, 2019. High school juniors can apply online at marthaguy.appstate.edu beginning December 1 until February 28, 2019.
2018 Martha Guy Summer Institute participants, including Cassie Ramaswamy, center, with Michael Mcswain '10, Government and Public Affairs for Nike, (back row, right) trip co-leader Amy Odom, (middle row, right) and MGSI program director Barbara Rule (front row, right). Photo submitted.
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Partners in Entrepreneurial Education
GEAR UP and Collaborations Like It Stoke Entrepreneurial Interests Early By: Michael Meznar
As Ban Ki-Moon, former Secretary General of the United Nations, oversaw the group’s crafting of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the 2030 Development Agenda, he said, “We don’t have a plan B, because there is no planet B.” We’re all in this together, the message runs, and intentional, ambitious collaboration and education is critical to preserving and bettering our world. That’s why, at Appalachian State University, strategic partnerships all across the community bolster sustainability-driven mindsets, motives and actions.
Teaching Innovation One such collaboration, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), seeks to spark a flame for entrepreneurship within the region’s elementary, middle and high school students. Through work with GEAR UP, the Walker College aims to support, develop and recruit prospective business leaders and students, and evidence of the next generation’s hunger to tackle future problems can be found in the recent GEAR UP Pitch Competition.
There, dozens of teams of young students pitched their innovative ideas to a team of judges, including Jonathan Carpenter, Assistant Director of Appalachian’s Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship (TICFE) and Bob Washburn, CEO of LifeStore Financial Group. Students’ ideas were far-ranging and included an organic, homemade sanitizer spray; a phone case that uses solar panels to charge the device; a strategy to bring food markets to under-served areas in Appalachia; and a car pedal extension device to accommodate individuals of short stature.
By reaching these students early and stoking their interest in innovative and sustainable ideas, business, and community engagement, Carpenter is readying the next crop of leaders to face complex, large-scale and ill-understood challenges for decades to come.
Sharing Financial Literacy The unknown nature of the future’s challenges makes it important to stay prepared, nimble and self-secure, and, to that end, GEAR UP, TICFE, staff from the State Employees Credit Union (SECU) and Walker College students also work together to host financial literacy programs for middle and high school students in Ashe and Wilkes counties. Together, they educate these students on avoiding the quicksand of debt and the importance of keeping a balanced budget. By learning to sustain ourselves and our families early on, the thinking goes, we’ll be in a better position to work toward sustaining our planet. It’s an enriching experience for the Appalachian students as well, for they get to pass on exceedingly valuable and practical knowledge to the next generation, helping them to avoid crippling financial pitfalls and maximize their potential. “For me, the most rewarding part of the activity was seeing young high school students who had never had any exposure to real life financial applications, going through the process and quickly learning how to prioritize their finances,” said analytics graduate student Rachel Drye. The experience embodies the intentional collaboration that yields a potentially transformative experience for current students in the Walker College.
“We're here to help students identify problems worth solving
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Jonathan Carpenter, assistant director of the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship, far left, poses with (from left to right) Tate Ward, Sarah Greene, and Chloe McClure, who compose team Purpose. Robert E. “Bob” Washburn, president and CEO of LifeStore, is pictured at right. The students, who attend Bethel Middle School in Watauga County, won first place for their idea of an organic, homemade sanitizer spray. The team created a prototype and allowed the judges to try out the spray during the competition. Photo by Sabrina Cheves.
and then get started solving them,” said TICFE Director Erich Schlenker. “Working together, sharing brain-power, connections and resources—those are the best tools to effect positive change and bring ideas from the imagination into the real world.”
Collaborating with Key Partners A theme in the Walker College is clear: together, we can inspire and motivate new thinking, new practices and new energy toward achieving global sustainability, resilience and progress. Rachael Jarosh, CEO of the not-for-profit “experiential learning platform” Enactus, succinctly articulated the group’s mission, one that integrally aligns with the values of Walker College: “We believe investing in students, who take entrepreneurial action for others, creates a better world for all of us.”
With support from TICFE, the Walker College is launching a chapter of Enactus, which will yield additional opportunities for students to apply their drive, curiosity, compassionate instincts and acumen at business and innovation toward bettering the future.
Enactus at Appalachian
2017-18 Women of Walker participants visit BirdDog
Jarosh spoke toPhoto GEAR UP participants and current Walker Logistics. submitted. College students during the TICFE’s Carole McLeod
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Entrepreneur Summit on Appalachian’s campus November 2 and addressed the capacity that students have to effect powerful, lasting change in their communities and the world at large. Enactus works to connect students with worldwide business leaders, resources, information and the insight they need to put their ideas for sustainable development into entrepreneurial action. With more than 72,000 students participating in Enactus across 36 countries working on more than 3,800 projects, the organization provides a tremendous network for Walker College students to gain inspiration, spread ideas and access the knowledge and resources needed to shape a globally sustainable and just future.
Aligning our Values At the Walker College of Business, through collaboration with key partners like GEAR UP, LifeStore, Enactus and TICFE, students learn to think outside themselves and consider the myriad ways in which their actions can have broad and lasting impact by building a world made to last. The possibilities for positive change are endless, and the Walker College, with the aid of its invaluable partners, augments students’ drive and provides the means to actualize these changes at every opportunity.
Recruiting for the Future
Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The SDGs are part of Resolution 70/1 of the United Nations General Assembly: "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."
Enactus CEO Rachael Jarosh spoke to GEAR UP participants and current Walker College students during the Carole McLeod Entrepreneur Summit on Appalachian’s campus November 2. She addressed the capacity that students have to effect powerful, lasting change in their communities and the world at large. Photo by Chase Reynolds.
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Women of Walker Business career services assistant director Amy Odom says that programs from the BB&T Student Leadership Center, housed in the Walker College of Business, focus on ensuring every business student is ready for his or her career. One example is the Women of Walker program, for which Odom serves as an advisor, which empowers students through relationships and provides
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females the essential skills needed to pursue a successful business career. “Only 19% of our finance majors are female,” said Odom. “And other majors are only slightly less skewed. We’re working to better support this population.”
Through Women of Walker, participants receive accelerated professional and
leadership development skills through networking, career exploration, travel and professional development workshops. Alumni and industry partners like BirdDog Logistics, Lenovo and Target visit campus and host students on site at their organizations.
“The skills and knowledge acquired through this program can be applied to all facets of being a contributing member
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Envisioning the Future
to one's community,” said Women of Walker program founder and computer information systems professor, Dr. Dawn Medlin.
“Women of Walker provided me with so many opportunities—to network with industry professionals through company visits, to meet other women in the Walker College with similar goals and aspirations and to develop new
skills that I will use moving forward in my collegiate career,”said junior risk management and insurance major Kimberly Aguirre.
“As a member you truly feel you are part of a select group that cares about you and your development,” added senior economics major Ivy Wagner.
mentorship is what’s most impressive about this program,” said Odom. “Our network of mentored and mentoring business women is growing.”
Since its inception in 2014, the program has mentored 125 students and boasts more than 100 professional partnerships.
“Receiving and paying forward
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Preparing Leaders Together Student Leadership Center Provides Key Programming By: Javon Nathaniel and Haley Childers While Appalachian State University Senior Elizabeth Belham is no perfect clone of her mentor, Josie Benfield, both students will tell you they are a perfect match. Benfield is a graduate student from Valdese, North Carolina, earning her master’s degree in accounting from the Walker College of Business. During her sophomore year at Appalachian, she learned that Belham, a Jackson, Mississippi native, had been assigned as her peer mentee.
The peer mentor program aims to connect business students by cultivating one-on-one relationships and delivering leadership development in inclusive group settings.
Benfield wasn’t sure why the program coordinators had thought a freshman management and marketing double major was the right fit for her.
“I’m pretty sure we got paired because we both had been members of the business exploration residential learning community,” said Benfield. Side note: Research shows that students who participate in a residential learning community (RLC) have higher GPAs and enjoy better college experiences. The business RLC is not only a great way to develop friendships, but it’s also become part of a pipeline for leadership development in the Walker College. While Michelle Boisclair, program coordinator and executive director of business career services in the college, says peer mentors are often assigned based on common factors like home town and course of study, or—in Belham and Benfield’s case participation in RLC—sometimes the matches are pure luck. Really good luck, in this case.
The Power of Relationships Assigned to one another through the peer mentor program, Josie Benfield, left, and Elizabeth Belham are part of a network of leaders in the Walker College. Photo by Sabrina Cheves.
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Belham credits Benfield with helping change the trajectory of her career. Belham said she initially chose to major in marketing and management at Appalachian because she had been active in her high school’s DECA club. It wasn’t until
Envisioning the Future
she met her match, so to speak, and heard about Benfield’s experiences as an accounting major that she realized accounting was her ideal path.
“Josie kept talking about the great opportunities in accounting and how recruiters from more than 20 major accounting firms come to campus for two weeks during the fall as part of the annual Meet the Firms series,” said Belham. Belham said faculty guidance was also instrumental. She named accounting professor emeritus Phil Witmer as someone who played a key role.
“Dr. Witmer pulled me to the side after a test and asked me ‘what is your major? ...well I think you should change it!’ That’s when I called Josie to ask about accounting. And if it hadn’t been for her, then I wouldn’t have applied for leadership conferences or received an internship offer—even before Meet the Firms!”
Both students will have completed internships with Dixon Hughes Goodman, Benfield in tax and Belham in audit, before graduation. “I’m thankful for the mentee-mentor relationship,” said Belham. “That's really where our community grows: people taking others under their wing.”
While the structure of the program is refined each year, Belham said mentees are required to attend a group meeting and interact with their mentor about two times per month; the latter can be social in nature since much of the professional curriculum (like LinkedIn development, resume building and professional etiquette) is covered in the large group meetings. The peer mentoring program began in 2014 and was designed to get students involved in the Walker College early.
Belham noted that learning how to see a business-specific advisor or getting the right classes at the right time to plan for admittance into the college is the sort of knowledge initially shared with mentees. Each mentor encourages relationships and serves as a personal resource relating to the business school, Appalachian in general and the business world. Benfield noted that there has been a long list of strong leaders doing just that. Deloitte audit senior assistant and accounting alumna Meredith Jonkers Sloboda ’16, ’17 helped lead the program while at Appalachian.
“The peer mentor program is a great way to develop younger individuals within the college of business professionally,” said Sloboda. ”It also gives opportunities for older students to mentor and grow as leaders. I enjoyed continuing to develop the peer mentor program throughout my college career and saw the impact it left on students’ lives.” Sloboda said she met Belham when she returned to campus to recruit students during the 2018 Meet the Firms series.
While the core of the peer mentoring program is building personal, one-onone relationships, mentees also develop a large network. “The networking aspect of it is huge, especially when you think alumni,” said Benfield. “There are hundreds of alumni who have served as peer mentors. It’s a small world and gets smaller every day.”
A Pipeline of Leaders “I think one of the most important parts of the peer mentor program is that it's helping shape the future of Walker Fellows,” said Belham. “I initially joined the peer mentor program because everyone else in my RLC was doing it, and it ended up that most of my RLC
and fellow mentees became Walker Fellows.”
Like the Business RLC, the Walker Fellows is part of a pipeline of leaders in the college, beginning as early as high school through the Martha Guy Summer Institute (read more about MGSI on pages 10-12.) "Students who participate in the Martha Guy program are encouraged to join the RLC as freshmen," explained Boisclair. "Our staff spends a great deal of time with those high-achieving students, and of course we recommend they maximize their business experience through the peer mentor program." Walker Fellows is the student ambassadorial group in the Walker College; student members represent the student body to the administration.
Belham, who now leads the peer mentor program, says that a team of Walker Fellows now helps coordinate the program. This team monitors the success of the pairings and the program in general. In addition to Belham, Walker Fellows Nelson Russ, Matthew Wallace, Andrew Carros and Kristen Coughlin are coordinating the 2018-19 program. Belham said the committee works to support the success of every match.
“We survey participants in January to ensure everyone is getting what they need in the program and connecting effectively,” said Belham. “Then we can re-evaluate and re-arrange as needed.”
Most relationships last much longer than the year, and some connections may last a lifetime.
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The Value of the Appalachian Internship The Walker College of Business provides experiential learning opportunities that give students the confidence to excel in their careers. Before graduation, more than 50 percent of students will have completed an internship aimed at developing skills originating in the classroom. Each of the college's six departments has a dedicated faculty advisor to assist students, and placement support is provided by the business career services office in the BB&T Student Leadership Center.
is becoming more and more important,” he said. “The people you meet, the connections you make and the work that you do in a quality internship combine to form a truly valuable experience capable of being leveraged both in school and in the workforce.” Highlighted are a few students who completed an internship this past year and shared how the experience was valuable.
“While the collegiate arena stimulates one's mind and enhances subject matter awareness, it is in a real world work environment that students truly come to understand the value of their course work and its applicability and relevance to their field of choice,” said Maxwell Gordon, a 2017 Walker College international business and economics graduate. While Gordon was a student at Appalachian, he took advantage of the college's connections to real-world experiences. “In order to maximize your potential and differentiate yourself when preparing for your first full-time career, a mixed background of relevant course work and internship experience
Alia Dahlan
Major: Finance and Banking Company: Barclays "Interning at Barclays was the most influential professional experience I have had in college. After completing a rotation in Costs Planning and one in Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review, I was offered a full time job."
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Scott Truong
Major: Computer Information Systems and Supply Chain Management Company: BMW "My summer at BMW gave me invaluable experience and exposure to not just the corporate setting, but a deeper look into my industry. I met with leading professionals from around the world and refined my career plan."
Anthony Corso
Major: Marketing Company: Eli Lilly "My internship gave me direction and a career with the company after graduation. And I was able to have some real-world experience that related to my chosen degree path that allowed me to really apply my learning during my senior year."
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Lauren Smith
Major: Management, Human Resources Company: Kendra Scott "Real-world, hands-on experience sets you apart from other candidates. My internship helped me tell employers what I did do, not what I might do, and how I learned from the outcomes. It’s an asset that you will never be sorry you have."
Destiny Rider Major: Economics Company: Information Technology for the World, Buenos Aires, Argentina "My internship gave me the opportunity to go abroad for the first time, gain exposure to a different business culture, and get very far outside of my comfort zone."
Evan Hager
Major: Management Company: Gartner "My internship was an incredible opportunity for me to work hands on in a professional environment. The network and resources gained during my 10 weeks in Florida provided me with the building blocks needed for my future."
DeJon McCoy-Milbourne Major: Accounting, Economics, Finance and Banking, Risk Management and Insurance | Company: Gallagher "As a sales intern at global insurance brokerage firm Gallagher, I learned that engaging with many individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds is one of the most important aspects of leading in business. As SGA president, I’ve used this knowledge and continue to develop my ability networking with students and faculty across campus."
Student Government Association President DeJon McCoy-Milbourne is sworn in to Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees by North Carolina District Judge Rebecca Eggers-Gryder at the June 22 Board of Trustees meeting. Photo by Troy Tuttle.
Appalachian State University | 21
Anne Cannon Scholar Steven Denton in Japan. Photo submitted.
Changing the World through Global Education By: Michael Meznar Anne Cannon Trust Scholar Steven Denton ’17, when reflecting on his Cannon-funded travel to Japan, stressed the far-reaching effects global excursions like his can have. Not only did his trip expose him to a new culture and modes of business and fulfill a long held desire to travel internationally, it also helped Denton to expand his and his family’s conceptions of what’s made possible by attending a university like Appalachian State and the Walker College of Business. “I wanted to set a precedent through the experience for my younger siblings,” Denton said. “I am a first generation college student, and I want them to know how incredible college can be.”
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Understanding Our Interconnectedness As Denton reflects on the wider importance of his trip to Japan, he defines how the Walker College instills in its students an understanding of the interconnectedness of the communities in which they move and the opportunities travel brings. Through initiatives like the Anne Cannon Trust Scholarship, students gain invaluable global experience and perspective, which often transforms their lives and their thinking. More than 25% of Walker College graduates will have traveled abroad by commencement, and it's hoped that number will continue to grow.
“When students go abroad, they come back expanded, and the new perspectives and infectious energy they bring enrich all of us on campus,” said Walker College associate dean for global and civic engagement Martin Meznar. “The Cannon Scholarship and the experiences it enables have benefits more wide ranging than you might at first think. Through it, students who could never have traveled abroad are able to, and they then share the value the experience had by retelling it to their friends and classmates and letting it inform their activities on campus.” In this way, one experience can carry impact for many lives.
Envisioning the Future Anne Cannon Forsyth's Legacy Founded in 2006 to honor Anne Cannon Forsyth, the Anne Cannon Trust has funded scholarships for students of under-represented groups to attend Appalachian and today helps students like Denton to have transformational, educational experiences abroad. Zach Tate ’81, ’84, Anne Cannon Forsyth’s son and associate broker for Blowing Rock Homes and Land and for Premier Sotheby's International Realty, helps administer the trust. “The Anne Cannon Trust endeavors to enrich the education of youth through exposure to worlds beyond their normal boundaries,” said Tate. When these boundaries dissolve, students grow to view themselves as actors in a global community and to see that their conduct matters, everywhere it takes place. Recent economics and finance graduate Khedema Robert ’18, a first generation college student and Cannon scholar, traveled to France thanks to the fund. During her time at Appalachian, Khedema worked hard to benefit and
educate the campus community and was involved with a score of organizations, including the Hunger and Health Coalition, the Humane Society of Boone, and the Multicultural Student Development group. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me get to France,” said Robert, who now serves as a financial analyst for NetImpact Strategies. “There aren’t enough words to truly express what the support meant for me.” By encouraging Robert's community engagement abroad, the Trust also emboldened her engagement back home; the two often reinforce each other.
Shaping Our Future In this way, students’ experiences abroad tend to shape and refine their professional lives as well, and they take the global values they're immersed in at the Walker College with them to work.
“My international experience made me stand out to employers as an intern for Lenovo,” said senior supply chain management major Emily Turner, a twotime Anne Cannon Trust scholar.
“Travel goes hand-in-hand with my education and offers a more global understanding of sustainability.” Turner, a native of Waxhaw, North Carolina, traveled to Iceland in 2017 and to China in 2018 with the Holland Fellows. She attributes those experiences with molding her future. “I am the first person in my family to have the opportunity to receive a higher education, and I appreciate learning, growing and expanding my knowledge base,” said Maheder Yohannes ’18.
Yohannes said that words of the late Nelson Mandela best capture her feelings. “Education is the most important weapon which you can use to change the world.” Through the support of the Cannon Trust and similar opportunities, the education that students receive at the Walker College inducts them into the world at large and readies them to seek and enact chances for positive change within it.
Anne Cannon Scholar Emily Turner in Iceland. Photo submitted.
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Envisioning the Future
Partnering Across Cultures Curiosity Leads Economics Student Jessica Robinson to China By: Javon Nathaniel and Michael Meznar
What shapes a student? No doubt it’s many things: professors, classes, conversations with peers, service to the community, travel, and more. To senior economics major Jessica Robinson, what binds these influences together and makes someone well-rounded? Curiosity. “Having the curiosity to learn has taken me the farthest in college,” said Robinson. “Studying something I love and for which I don’t mind working really hard.” Curiosity’s carried Robinson past the boundaries of Appalachian’s classrooms and beyond our nation’s borders.
Research Abroad During the spring semester of her junior year, Robinson earned a 2018 Holland Fellowship. The Holland Fellows program—an exchange through which 12 Appalachian students partner with 12 peers from Fudan University in Shanghai, China—granted Robinson the opportunity to research the influence of the sharing economy in the U.S. and China. While other Appalachian students were on winter break,
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the Holland Fellows began their research and, in the spring semester, took a 3-credit course, which included business and cultural readings and Chinese language lessons.
In this program, Robinson became even more invested in the Chinese economy, finding herself engrossed in the web of issues between China and the United States. “Before Holland Fellows, even though I’m an economics major, China wasn’t on my radar. After being there, I’m taking more interest in Chinese culture and economics and applying to graduate schools in China.”
“It was rewarding to watch Jessica apply her curiosity to this immersive experience and see her connect classroom theory to applied experiences,” said Jesse Pipes, Holland Fellows director and entrepreneurship lecturer. “Jessica embraced the program’s challenges, putting in additional effort to seek authentic experiences beyond the classroom and stretch her abilities.” Curiosity engenders growth and snowballs into lifelong learning. Following her research excursion with the Holland Fellows,
Robinson sought to continue her learning that began that summer in China. She learned of an opportunity to take economics and culture classes at Fudan University for three to four weeks with the potential for full funding, and Robinson wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass her by.
Immersion in Shanghai She received funding to attend the immersion program, and, after a brief respite back in the States, found herself on a 15-hour flight back to Shanghai after Holland Fellows. In the Yangpu district of Shanghai, Robinson lived in the international foreign students dormitory on the opposite side of Fudan University. To integrate into the culture around her, Robinson took it upon herself to learn more Mandarin and seek opportunities to interact with locals daily. While in the Shanghai program, Robinson took classes in health, history, business and, of course, economics, which centered on modern Chinese economies. Robinson felt enriched to “be able to
learn about another huge global economy from a non-American perspective,” and her courses introduced her to the nuances of the Chinese economy. Akin to Holland Fellows, the experience yielded its own adversity that Robinson channeled into growth. “Being on my own this time, I was nervous about making friends in a foreign place,” said Robinson. “But the people that I met there and shared experiences with, just like those who I met during Holland Fellows, I’m going to know for the rest of my life.”
The Traveling Family Before her travels to China, Robinson previously visited Italy, France, England, Ireland and Jamaica. Robinson’s family, another chief influence, instilled in her from a young age a desire to travel. Describing her family as “scattered across the world,” Robinson said her family members have lived or worked in areas ranging from Beijing and Budapest to Jamaica and Paris. There are many more places Robinson seeks to see.
In her constant pursuit of new opportunities, Robinson has set her sights on graduate school, as well as a Fulbright Program that would further her economics research on a global level.
Appalachian’s Impact Robinson sees her time at Appalachian as instrumental in her life and future career. “Appalachian’s Department of Economics is so amazing, helpful and caring,” she said. “I have learned so much from each of my professors, even the ones I haven’t had classes with yet!” Members of the Walker College community help one another, Robinson is finding. “They’ve guided me through many different subjects within my field and helped me choose what I like and what I want to learn more about.”
Time abroad has led Robinson to believe that “any experience abroad takes you out of your status quo. When you go abroad you learn about how others live,” she said. “And the Walker College of Business especially endorses that.”
Jessica Robinson said meeting new people and sharing experiences with others abroad is valuable. Above are images from Robinson's photo album from her travels to China. Left are the 2018 Holland Fellows from Appalachian and Fudan Universities. Photos submitted.
Appalachian State University | 25
Scholarship Recipients and Donors A reception for scholarship donors and their recipients on the campus of Appalachian State University provides an annual opportunity for business students to meet their benefactors. On Friday, October 19, 2018, in the
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Parkway Ballroom in the Plemmons Student Union, more than 200 students met their donors. During the program, Dr. B. Dawn Medlin, professor of computer information systems in the Walker
College, spoke from the donor perspective and, during her comments, she announced the creation of a new, endowed scholarship in honor of her mother, Doris. Dr. Medlin had previously created three endowed scholarships in the Walker College —
Investing in the Future
the Kathy Edwards Fitzpatrick Memorial Scholarship for Computer Information Systems, the Best Friends Scholarship for Business and the Women of Walker Scholarship for females in business. Junior marketing major RaShaun Robinson and junior
accounting major Nick Bailey are two of the 2018 scholarship beneficiaries. Both brought remarks during the 2018 event from the student perspective, and both shared touching stories of how scholarship funding changed their lives.
Just under $600,000 was awarded to business students this academic year. However, the need remains great, as fewer than 10% of our business students receive scholarship awards annually. Photo by Chase Reynolds.
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Full Circle
CEO Leads Partnerships, Returns to the Classroom By: Audrey Gurkin
Sometimes in life, things come full circle. Richard Sparks, a two-time graduate of Appalachian who holds a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management (1976) and an MBA (1978), has always enjoyed teaching. In fact, he had hoped he could return to teach at Appalachian after his retirement from Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS).
Back to Class A December 2016 call from Walker College Dean Heather Norris presented the opportunity to take over former Appalachian Chancellor Kenneth Peacock’s international leadership and ethics graduate class, since Dr. Peacock was retiring in January 2017. Sparks had long ago set his retirement date for January 26, 2017, and he had also planned a trip to celebrate his 40 years in health care. His love of Appalachian and his desire to teach proved too tempting to pass up. Sparks did retire as planned, and he did go on his sailboat cruise. However, he immediately began teaching upon his return. So much for a long retirement! Teaching is not new to Sparks, as he taught part-time at Appalachian in the ’80s (but had to give it up due to increasing obligations in his role as ARHS CEO). According to Sparks, teaching this time around is quite different, “I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing or doing it the right way. I had to learn AsULearn, an online learning management system, and I had no idea how much was done
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electronically. I’m learning along with my students. In fact, my students are the ones who are teaching me, and, because of their help, I’m now an expert!”
Sparks reflected on a heartwarming moment as his first class of graduate students attended commencement, “After leaving a 40-year career and receiving numerous awards that also have a special place in my heart, it was a moment at graduation that touched me the most. Upon my exit, my students gave me a standing ovation!” If Sparks ever had a doubt about the impact of his teachings, that ovation reaffirmed that he was indeed “doing the right thing and doing it the right way.” Sparks has always been a leader, whether in the classroom or in the boardroom. As a long-time member and past chair of the Walker College's Business Advisory Council, Richard has helped guide the administration's decisions, resulting in an innovative, relevant business curriculum and outstanding, nationally ranked programming.
Business and Healthcare For Appalachian's newest academic college, the Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), Sparks’ leadership has steered a key partnership with AHRS that helped lead to the opening of the new Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences building. “I’ve always thought that Appalachian’s popularity might be a great draw for recruiting nurses, clinical support and administrative staff to our area, and it
would take a unique partnership between the hospital system and the university to do so,” said Sparks. Led by Chancellor Peacock and through the efforts of a strong team at the university, the BCHS was established, and the decision was made to build on land adjoining the hospital. The land was donated by ARHS to the university. “This was particularly fitting, because although there are a few people who still remember this; it was the university that brought the hospital into being for this community in the 1930’s.” (Note: Watauga Hospital, originally housed inside Founders Hall on Appalachian’s campus, opened its doors as the first hospital in Boone on April 17, 1938.) Sparks returned to teaching to pass on the knowledge he had gained as the CEO of a healthcare system.
Like Sparks, but on a broader scale, Appalachian is educating the next generation of professionals, both in healthcare and in business. After almost 100 years, the relationship between the university and the hospital is renewed. The purpose is the same: improving the quality of life in our community and beyond. Full circle.
Retired ARHS CEO Richard Sparks is pictured in a Peacock Hall classroom. Photo by Sabrina Cheves.
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Alumna Andrea Breazele-King, right, helped present the inaugural BreazealeKing Professional Development Award to dual master’s degree student Kirsten Montanari during the Walker College of Business spring 2018 hooding ceremony on Appalachian’s campus. Photo by Samantha Fuentes.
Engaged Alumni Local to Global Communities: the Impact of Alumni Giving By: Haley Childers Appalachian State University alumni give back in ways that support student success and impact our local and global communities. Alumna Andrea BreazealeKing ’94 is one of many who are helping provide meaningful experiences to students today.
Local Roots, Global Impact The Master in Business Administration (MBA) program has recently adopted an appropriate tag line, Local Roots, Global Impact. Breazeale-King is helping to provide transformative, educational experiences and prepare students for lifelong learning and professional leadership responsibilities in a dynamic, global environment. She recently established the BreazealeKing Professional Development Award because she believes in the importance of giving back and helping the next generation fulfill their potential. A human resources business partner and advisor for Capital Associated Industries (a North Carolina, memberbased organization of more than 1,250 companies that provides practical solutions to help build engaged, wellmanaged and low-risk workplaces through human resources and management advice), Breazeale-King values the knowledge, skills and friends she gained as an MBA student at Appalachian.
“I love Appalachian; the Mountaineer spirit is infectious,” said King. “I made great friends here, and anytime I can do something to give back, I will.”
Having been a donor since graduation and recently having served on the university’s Board of Visitors, Breazeale-
King said establishing an award to assist MBA students is a dream come true for her.
During the Walker College of Business spring 2018 hooding ceremony on Appalachian’s campus, Breazeale-King helped present the inaugural award to dual master’s degree student Kirsten Montanari. Montanari, like BreazealeKing, will use her Appalachian education to build a career helping others satisfy their career goals.
Transformational Experiences Among her experiences, Montanari counts serving as a fieldwork coordinator for the Traidhos Three-Generation Barge Program in the Bangkok metropolitan area of Thailand as particularly transformational. “The opportunity to lead multicultural teams in Thailand secured my passion for positive workplace dynamics,” said Montanari. “Through a variety of professional roles throughout the past five years, including this experience, I witnessed the power of team collaboration transcend the workplace from a location to clock-in to an inspiring avenue for shared leadership.”
Montanari said that her global experience led her to pursue two degrees at Appalachian, an Industrial/ Organizational Psychology and Human Resources (IOHRM) degree and an MBA, a decision she said was the most vital step she has taken in her own professional development.
“My long-term aspiration to utilize this interdisciplinary education is to apply the
principles of the scientist-practitionerhumanist model to support staff in mission-driven organizations. The skills I am developing at Appalachian have transformed my passion to lead into an intimate knowledge of what it means to think like a psychologist, business leader, researcher and advocate in any professional context,” said Montanari. She will use the funding to attend a professional development conference in order to increase her understanding of group dynamics and employee development.
No Small Gesture “We are so fortunate to have wonderful alumni like Breazeale-King who want to give back and make the MBA degree possible for our future business leaders,” said Dr. Sandra Vannoy, associate dean for graduate programs and research in the college. Montanari served as an employee and leadership development consultant, both for local businesses and through her internship, is conducting a program evaluation to inform the AppLab curriculum on campus, and has served in two research assistantships at Appalachian. “I am greatly appreciative of Ms. Breazeale-King for her gift,” added Montanari. “Her belief in my goals and drive is not a small gesture; it is the beginning of a cycle of professional support I plan to continue with others upon graduation.”
Montanari will earn both her MBA and her IOHRM degrees from Appalachian in 2019.
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Dean's Club One Fund. Major Impact. The Walker College Dean’s Club is an annual giving fund that benefits business students, faculty and staff and enhances academic programs in the Walker College of Business. Contributions from Dean’s Club donors provide unrestricted support each year for critical needs—needs like travel funds for students to attend courserelated conferences, seed money for new programs, student scholarships and support for clubs and organizations. Appalachian young alumni Yesenia Olguin, Madison Bigham, Jack Bishop, Boris Maldonado, Jack Terrell, Cody McKinney, Jabari Myles and Whitney Harper Evans are eight who attribute part of their success to the generosity of Dean’s Club donors. Photo by Austin Lawrence
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Yesenia Olguin ’17 is a senior auditor for Wells Fargo Audit Services. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Olguin also serves as chief project management
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100+
Student scholarships awarded this year at time of printing
300+
Student travel experiences funded in the past 5 years
$$
Consistent support for student groups to attend conferences and competitions and supplemental funding for engaging co-curricular programs including Business for Good, Women of Walker, Business Connections, Bowden Investment Group and Walker Fellows
Where are they now? officer for the Charlotte Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA), the country’s leading professional Latino non-profit organization. There are more than 2,000 members in Olguin’s chapter. As a student, Olguin was a Dean's Club scholar and active in Women of Walker and Walker Fellows.
“The Walker College of Business gave me the connections to expand my horizons and get involved with ALPFA,” she said. “Thanks to my leadership ability developed in the Walker College, I now connect professionals and students across North Carolina through networking events, professional trainings and professional symposiums. I am able to open doors and positively influence people’s lives even while in the early stages of my own career.”
Yesenia Olguin "I am able to open doors and positively influence people’s lives even while in the early stages of my own career." Photo by Jeffrey Torifa
Appalachian State University | 33
Madison Bigham ’14 is a senior financial analyst for Lowe’s, Inc. supporting Lowe’s ProServices team in Matthews, North Carolina. Bigham, a Dean’s Club scholar, says the time she spent with mentors Mr. David Thompson and Dr. Delbert Goff, advisors to Appalachian’s Bowden Investment Group (BIG), was extremely valuable. She credits the time with the group in helping her gain the confidence she needed to be successful in her professional life. Named in honor of former professor Elbert Bowden, BIG is a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on investment experience, supported with the fund’s earnings and supplemented by the Dean’s Club.
Bigham was so inspired by her advisors’ generosity that she began giving back as soon as she graduated from Appalachian.
Photo submitted.
Jack Bishop
Jack Bishop ’14 also is paying forward his gifts, serving as a scholarship donor along with his wife, Grace Bishop ’13 in the Walker College. Now a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Waynesville, North Carolina, Jack said that coming to Appalachian as a junior transfer student, he covered a lot of ground in only two years. “I developed lifelong friendships, met my wonderful wife, was challenged academically, and learned to conduct myself as a professional.” Bishop echoed Bigham’s sentiments, noting that participating in BIG had a profound impact on his life.
“I use the knowledge and skills from BIG on a daily basis in my business,” he said. “The mentorship of Mr. Thompson and Dr. Goff helped me graduate from Appalachian knowing what it means to be good professional, and, better yet, a good person.”
Photo submitted.
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Boris Maldonado
Boris Salvador Maldonado ’16 is a project manager at Stanley, Hunt, DuPree & Rhine—a division of McGriff Insurance Services, Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina—Maldonado administers BB&T employee benefits plans. Prior to this role, he served as a commercial insurance agent in Raleigh, North Carolina after graduating from BB&T’s Leadership Development Program.
Investing in the Future
Madison Bigham "Time spent with Bowden Investment Group mentors was extremely valuable. They helped me gain the confidence I needed to be successful in my professional life." Photo submitted.
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Alumni Impact
Jack Terrell "Dean's Club support and encouragement of these opportunities made all the difference in my academic and professional careers." Photo submitted.
“The advocacy of the college’s business advisory council has given me the advantage of an Appalachian education,” said Maldonado, who received a Dean’s Club scholarship at Appalachian. “They have set an example so that we, too, may strive to support the future generations of students that walk through the doors of the Walker College of Business.”
Jack Terrell ’18 is a financial and strategic planner in BMW’s engineering and operations management development program. Based in Greenville, South Carolina, Terrell is now in the first of three 8-month rotations with BMW. He says that his for-credit international internship with Hirschvogel in Germany, paired with his Mandarin and German language skills, gave him the applicable professional international experience that BMW sought. Terrell notes that he took advantage of a variety of opportunities while at Appalachian, including travel abroad, which was funded in part by a Dean’s Club scholarship. “I
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traveled to Costa Rica to learn the supply chain of the coffee industry and to Colombia where I assisted in repairing wells in the Colombian Amazon,” he said. Cody McKinney ’16, ’17 is an audit associate in Grant Thornton’s Charlotte, North Carolina office. He recently received his CPA license and credits passing the exam and his career fully to his Appalachian education.
“Recruiters know the Walker College of Business develops well educated, hard working employees,” said McKinney. “Truly, I didn’t have to look for a job; jobs came looking for me. The scholarships [including a Dean’s Club scholarship] I received through the Walker College have allowed me to live debt free, avoiding the burden that many of my peers carry. I’m very grateful!” Jabari Myles ’17 is a senior associate analytical consultant for SAS. Based in Carrboro, North Carolina, Myles earned a master’s degree in analytics from sister institution NC State
Investing in the Future University in May 2018.
Myles attributes his experience as a Walker Fellow, a group funded by the Dean’s Club, for having taught him that his job and life aren’t about resources, but resourcefulness. “To connect with people and influence them, I learned to show gentleness and enthusiasm for whatever I told them I believe in,” said Myles of his Walker Fellows experience. Photo submitted.
Cody McKinney
Whitney (Harper) Evans ’13 is marketing manager for CNP Technologies in Charlotte. Responsible for strategy and development of all marketing plans, B2B focused campaigns and yearly budget and expenses, Whitney handles lead generation, field events, digital marketing and market development funding for 20+ partners. Whitney, a Dean’s Club scholar, was recently married to fellow Appalachian alumnus Johnny Evans ’13, who she met at an Appalachian alumni event.
“The relationships are the impactful thing coming away from the Walker College. From scholarship donors to professors, there is a sense of belonging.”
Photo submitted.
Jabari Myles
Evans said these supporters see students as friends for whom they want what’s best. “When you feel like there are people that genuinely care about you— your personal life and your professional development—you can take on the world! It is rewarding to be able to give back now; we have a goal to gradually increase our giving each year and continue to see the impact on students.”
Learn more at business.appstate.edu/give.
Make an impact.
Photo submitted.
Whitney Evans
Give to the Dean's Club today, business.appstate.edu/give or call Assistant Director of Development Joe Helton '11 at (828) 262-6187.
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Investing in the Future
Keeping Pace
Leveraging the Appalachian Alumni Network Ensures a Dynamic Curriculum By: Michael Meznar and Haley Childers
Phil Ostwalt "There are unusually strong relationships between Appalachian State University students and faculty. I experienced this 30 years ago, and consistently feel this today."
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Photo submitted.
Because the rate of knowledge doubles at an increasingly fast pace, technology continues to evolve and thus, the threat to business from fraud is regularly increasing. Enter the field of forensic accounting; the use of accounting skills to investigate fraud or embezzlement and to analyze financial information for use in legal proceedings. Many Walker College of Business graduates, including Appalachian State University accounting alumnus Phil Ostwalt ’83, are on the front line.
A proponent of the notion that disruption to the established business system will make fraud increasingly difficult, Ostwalt encourages businesses to innovate defense through good corporate governance and by evolving business practices in accounting. “Changes in the business world dictate the need for a new breed of college graduates," said Ostwalt.“We all experience “disruptions” and “transformations” within our businesses, as do our customers, clients and those with whom we partner.” Ostwalt, who recently retired from a successful career with Big Four Firm KPMG, is now leading and innovating in the field through his work with Appalachian business students and through servant leadership on the Business Advisory Council (BAC). “By collaborating with university administration, the deans of colleges, faculty, alumni, corporate partners and students, the Walker College can make bold moves to adjust its curriculum and prepare students differently so that they have greater opportunity to thrive,” he said. Ostwalt is a dedicated scholarship donor, supporting critical needs for students through his membership in the Dean’s Club, the annual giving society supporting the college. “The college is capitalizing on relationships to ensure we continue to develop first rate, prepared young business leaders,” said Ostwalt. “It’s great to see alumni staying active by giving their resources. The Dean’s Club is doing amazing work for the students with these generous contributions.”
Educating and Inspiring Ostwalt, a regular guest speaker in graduatelevel audit courses, details his experiences, offers advice about what to expect in the workforce, and provides valuable opportunities for internships and job opportunities through his connections. “I am forever grateful for how the Walker College, and specifically the college’s accounting faculty, shaped and prepared me for early success,” said Ostwalt. “There are unusually strong relationships between Appalachian State University students
and faculty. I experienced this 30 years ago, and consistently feel this today.”
Associate professor of accounting Dr. Pennie Bagley said that her students “really enjoy learning about forensic accounting from Phil. Forensic accounting is often seen as the more ‘glamorous’ career choice in accounting, yet the students know very little about the field and opportunities that exist. Phil provides them with knowledge of the field and encourages and supports students interested in forensics.”
Radical Change Ostwalt is also making a mark through service to the Walker College via mentorship and board membership. Having served on the BAC for ten years, he will serve as vice chair of the group in 2019 and 2020. “Phil has been instrumental in developing and strengthening the processes and programs of the college,” said Walker College Dean Heather Norris. “The impact of partners like Phil on the direction of the college is both critical and tangible.” Most profoundly, Ostwalt recently chaired a group to write a white paper on radical innovation, providing key recommendations to evolve education to meet global industry needs. Leading his peers and faculty members in the exercise, Ostwalt is helping to guide the college by evolving its communication strategy; strengthening faculty recognition; growing collaboration with campus, corporate and community partners; and establishing a radical innovation fund to make bold change in business education.
To meet industry’s growing needs, the Walker College continues to evolve a dynamic curriculum. Norris noted that partnerships with alumni and industry alike are keeping the college and its curriculum on the cutting edge and allowing the college to supply employers with graduates who possess not only the business know-how but also the analytical problemsolving abilities to get the job done.
Ostwalt is one of many providing invaluable leadership through dedicated support, service and energetic mentorship at Appalachian, thereby increasing demand for graduates and opening new avenues to industry and partnerships. Ostwalt spent more than 25 years with KPMG, where he specialized in forensic accounting, corporate internal investigations, disputes, ethics and compliance before recently retiring as a firm partner and investigations service network leader.
Appalachian State University | 39
Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer. Stay connected, update your information and read news: business.appstate.edu/alumni facebook.com/walkercob instagram.com/walkercob linkedin.com/school/walkercob Search WalkerCOB on YouTube
Business Advisory Council CHAIRMAN Doug Johnson ’77 Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Ridge Energy VICE CHAIRMAN H. Edward Boyles Jr. Managing Director, Wells Fargo Securities MEMBERS J. Cantey Alexander III ’86 President - Triad Region, BB&T Don Bailey ‘88 Principal, Financial Services Advisory, Grant Thornton LLP Roger L. Beahm Executive Director, Center for Retail Innovation, Wake Forest University School of Business; Chairman & CEO, Beahm & Associates, LLC
Jack Sheffield Jr. Managing Director, Alex.Brown John E. Silvia Chief Economist, Wells Fargo Hayes Smith ’82 Managing Partner, Second Creek Development Company Gerry Smith ’70 First VP Investments - Retired, Smith Barney Richard G. Sparks ’76, ’78 President & CEO - Retired, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System Jill Sparks ’91, ’96 Executive Director, Small Business Center and Business Incubation, AshevilleBuncombe Technical Community College
Ryan Bolick ’01 Vice President, Business Improvement, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
Richard Stroupe ’98 Founder and Managing Principal, Crimson Holdings, LLC
Steve Camp ’68 President & CEO - Retired, Midlands Convention Center Authority
David Thompson General Partner & CFO - Retired, WEDGE Capital Management, LLP
Marshall A. Croom ’86 Chief Financial Officer, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
Joseph Towell ’74, ’78 CEO - Retired, Yadkin Bank
Brian Dalgetty Founder, WizeView Healthcare Analytics Richard Finlay Partner - Retired, Conyers, Dill & Pearman Patrick Getzen Vice President & Chief Actuary, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of NC Benjamin Hamrick ’82 Chief Executive Officer, Johnson Price Sprinkle PA Helen Hollifield ’87 Tax Partner, Deloitte & Touche Thomas H. Hudspeth Jr. ’82, ’83 Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Beth Monaghan ’82 Founder and CEO - Retired, Monaghan Group Samuel (Bo) Moss Attorney and Entrepreneur Phillip Ostwalt ’83 President, DL Phillips Investment Builders Amy Rumford Vice President, Supply Chain Operations Service Excellence and Analytics, Advance Auto Parts
MEMBERS EMERITI W. Winfield Beroth ’65 President, Beroth Oil/4 Brothers Stores William S. Creekmuir Executive VP & CFO, Simmons Company Robert G. Darst Retired, Burlington Industries, Inc. Robin H. Gagnon ’82, ’95 Partner, We Sell Restaurants James E. Harris ’84 CFO, Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Save the date, and return to campus:
April 26 Friday, 11:00 a.m.
William R. Holland Chairman, EnPro Industries, Inc. Scott K. Lampe ’94 CFO, Hendrick Motorsports Charles V. Murray ’87 President, Murray Supply Company Jeffrey A. Shepard Retired CEO, Footstar Frank H. Skidmore, Jr. Retired IBM Global Services, Managing Partner Mike Steinback Partner, Stonebridge Partner G.A. Sywassink ’94 Chairman & CEO, Standard Holding Corporation Allan Singer Manager, McNair Law Firm, PA
40 | Walker College of Business
The Boyles Distinguished Lecture Series and the Global Opportunities Conference co-present:
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Kailash Satyarthi The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts