Bishop Beat, December 2019

A Newsletter for Alumni and Friends of North Carolina Wesleyan College

Wesleyan Holds Winter Commencement

On Saturday, December 14, North Carolina Wesleyan College held its winter commencement for approximately 225 graduates at the Rocky Mount Event Center.

The commencement address was given by Ms. Constance D. Williams, Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources, Americas, Sony Music Entertainment located in New York, NY. Read more

Wesleyan Board Chair Establishes Nell Rose Ellis Boone Endowment

Dr. Daniel and Mrs. Brenda Crocker recently established the Nell Rose Ellis Boone Endowment at North Carolina Wesleyan College in memory of their longtime friend, Mrs. Nell Boone. It was the Crocker's desire that the scholarship qualifications be established by Mrs. Boone's surviving sons, Bert and Neal Boone. The recipient must be an upperclassman, maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, be active in their church, involved in community service, and demonstrate good personal character and academic achievement. The criteria specifies the student should be from northeastern North Carolina pursuing a major in Education.

Mrs. Boone, who passed away February 20 of this year, retired from the Nash-Rocky Mount School System after 35 dedicated years as a high school chemistry and physics teacher. Her joy of teaching was evident through her love for all of her students through the years. She was very active in her church, Red Oak Baptist Church, having served in many capacities including faithfully teaching Sunday school for over 70 years.

The Crockers have been loyal supporters of North Carolina Wesleyan College for almost 40 years. Dr. Daniel Crocker currently serves as Chair for the Board of Trustees and Mrs. Crocker previously served as Chair of the Board of Visitors. This isn't the first endowment established by the Crockers; they also funded the Essie Mae Batten Crocker Endowment in memory of Dr. Crocker's late mother, as well as the Dr. James Durant Melton Outward Bound Scholarship in memory of Crocker's dear friend. Read more

Students Inducted To Leadership Honor Society

Congratulations to the 66 newly inducted members of NC Wesleyan's chapter of The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). NSLS is the nation's largest leadership honor society. Students are selected by their college for membership based on either academic standing or leadership potential. Candidacy is a nationally recognized achievement of honorable distinction. Membership in NSLS is for life.

Wesleyan Welcomes Woofs, Wags & Wiggles

North Carolina Wesleyan College has announced that it is now a dog-friendly campus. The community is encouraged to bring their dogs for a walk along Wesleyan's two-mile walking trail around the perimeter of campus or complete their full 5K path all while enjoying the campus' beautiful scenery.

Canine family and friends are now allowed on campus for occasional visits, as long as they are accompanied by their owner and stay within designated "dog-friendly" areas, such as the outer walking trail and sidewalks around campus. To maintain the cleanliness of campus and safety of guests, all indoor areas and athletic fields are not classified as dog-friendly locations. The College's new dog policy states they must be on a flea and tick program, remain leashed at all times and have their vaccine ID tag visible or paperwork available if asked by security. It also acknowledges that owners are responsible for any clean up and disposal read more.

Fall semester 2019 has come to a close and Christmas break is here. Congratulations to our December 2019 graduates!

The College recently received $23,500 from the Rocky Mount Community Foundation to purchase new music production equipment. An anonymous donor who are also married alums gave the college $15,000 to pay for the nursing textbooks of our first twenty nursing students in the RN-to-BSN program. NC Wesleyan College is extremely grateful to have supportive and philanthropic alumni who support our students. By paying it forward, these donors are demonstrating the heart of being faith forward in their actions. It is this type of support and faith in Wesleyan that allows us to continue to make a difference in the lives of our students and in the community.
In January, an updated and redesigned "Wes Magazine" will be published. This edition will be special because it will lay the foundation for a new decade at Wesleyan. The magazine will focus on community ties and include features on academic life, athletic life, student life, and all of the characteristics that make Wesleyan special.

The Duff family would like to wish the entire Wesleyan community a very Merry Christmas, a joyous holiday season and an exceptional New Year! A new decade is upon us and many exciting updates will be revealed in 2020. Thank you for always holding a special place in your heart for North Carolina Wesleyan College.

Upcoming Shows At The Dunn Center

The Ultimate Eagles Tribute

Friday, January 24, 2020 7:30 PM

The Fillmore Charlotte says that "although the Eagles have encouraged the world to "Take It Easy" for more than four decades, taking on the roles of the genteel Classic Rockers from Southern California is a tough task." Well here's a group that does. Their destination is The Dunn and there's nobody like 'em to liven up the dead of winter. Oh, oh, soooo fun!

From The Vault

From The Dissenter 1964...

Stay Connected!

Keep Wesleyan and your fellow alumni informed of your news of marriages, births, job changes, awards, and other activities. Email your Class Note to alumni@ncwc.edu. Photos also will be considered.

Alumni Class Notes

Meghan Prete Whitmer '17 and her husband, Gates Whitmer '19 welcomed their daughter, Holland Ruth Whitmer on October 7, 2019. Holly weighed 6 lbs 11 ounces. Meghan is a 2017 graduate of North Carolina Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is a Budget Analysis at NC Wesleyan College. Gates graduated from NC Wesleyan in May, 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems.

Chad Evans '18 was recently named the Outstanding Alumnus of a Developmental Education Program from the North Carolina Association of Developmental Education/North Carolina Organization for Student Success. The award recognizes a former student of a developmental education program "who is a source of pride for the program." Evans is an alumnus and employee of Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, NC. He continued his education at North Carolina Wesleyan College, receiving his BS in Business Administration in 2018. He is working toward his MBA with an anticipated 2021 graduation.

Samantha H. Godsey '12 and her husband, Brad, are the proud parents of a daughter, Rory Nicole Godsey. Rory was born on November 27, 2019 and weighed 2 pounds 3.3 ounces. Samantha graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. She is Registration and Advising Coordinator at NC Wesleyan College.

Kirby Slade '01 has recently been named Director of Community Relations for Nash UNC Health Care. Kirby has been at Nash UNC for 18 years primarily in Information Systems. He will be responsible for developing strategies for community engagement and strengthening partnerships in Nash UNC's service area. Kirby received his BS degree in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems from North Carolina Wesleyan College in 2001. He recently earned his master's degree with a concentration in health care management. He and his wife, Freda, have a daughter, Kerrington.

Taylor Jackson Stone '13 and her husband, Jordan, are the proud parents of their first child, Luke Charles Stone. He was born December 6, 2019 and weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz.. Taylor graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology. Taylor is Director of Student Success at NC Wesleyan College.

Remembering Our Bishop Family

To notify us of the death of a classmate, faculty or staff member, please email the information and an obituary, if available, to alumni@ncwc.edu.

Charles "Chaz" Aaron Silber '90 passed away very unexpectedly September 29, 2019 at his home at the age of 51. He graduated from NC Wesleyan College in 1990 with degrees in business administration and food service. Chaz started his career in the restaurant industry working for Red Lobster and later worked at Frankie's Fun Park. He made a career change to the IT industry after his children were born. He was the site lead at Dell in their Virginia data center when he died. He is survived by his wife, two children, his mother, one brother, one sister and a host of other relatives.

Betty Mae Bjurstrom '91, age 76, of Cary, NC passed away on Friday, May 17, 2019. She earned a BS in Business Administration and a BA in Psychology from NC Wesleyan College. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Psychology from Bethel College in St. Paul. She continued her education and training to earn a license to practice Marriage and Family Therapy. She is survived by her husband, Gene, four children, ten grandchildren, one brother and one sister.

Reserve Your Wesleyan Memorial Brick

Students, organizations, parents, alumni, and community supporters now have the opportunity to inscribe their names at North Carolina Wesleyan College. The Office of Alumni Relations is selling bricks to be placed at the new entrance located at the south end of the Pearsall Library addition, or at the Leon Russell Chapel entrance.

Your brick will be a permanent tribute on the NCWC campus. In years to come, your family members, students, alumni, faculty, and visitors will see your name and recognize your loyalty to the College. Your gift is a special way to support NCWC.

A brick is a wonderful opportunity to honor a mentor, memorialize a loved one, commemorate an occasion or event, or simply make public your support to NCWC. Click here for complete ordering information.

December
2019