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Quotable Quotes
New and current
students really appreciate hearing from alumni what their UNC Asheville
Experience has meant to them. The Office of Alumni is asking alums from
ALL generations to share a line or two about what their UNC Asheville (or
Asheville-Biltmore College) education has meant to them. Submissions may
be used in various publications such as brochures, posters, and newsletters.
Thank you for your participation.
Submitted Quotes
are Listed Below
Alumni Quotes
Name: John M. Hodges
Title: Instructor, Temple University
Class: 1998
My days at UNCA will live on
in my memory forever...from Southridge to the Governors Village, from acting in
plays to spending sleepless nights in the mass comm editing lab. I love to
occasionally peruse the website just to see what's going on at my alma mater. I
hope to return one day as I been on campus since graduation day.
Name: Kaye Edwards-Leigh
Title: Counselor/Lake Norman High School
Class: 1972
My experience at UNC-A has
lasted a lifetime. The classes and professors prepared me for a career in
education, first as a teacher and now as a high school guidance counselor. When
I work with students on college choices, I highly recommend UNC-A because of the
friendly atmosphere, beautiful campus, and superior academic standing. Students
who visit come back to tell me how much they love UNC-A.
Name: Lorri Blair Mercer
Title: Human Resources Manager
Class: 1988
Although UNCA is considered
by some to be a small school nestled in the mountains, my experience at UNCA not
only gave me an opportunity to be taught by professors of different educational
and ethnical backgrounds, but I was introduced to many people of different
cultures as well, which gave me a very well rounded education, not only through
my studies, but in life.
Those experiences stay with
me and are priceless.
Name: Debbie Metcalf
Title: Asheville NOW - Newsletter Editor
Class: 1980
"Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the
only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead,
Anthropologist
Name: Adrienne
Hollifield
Title: English teacher--Charles D. Owen High School
Class: 1996
UNCA changed my life because
I discovered how to think, and that opened up a very exciting world for me.
Consequently, I was a very reluctant graduate. I would still be there if someone
would pay me to learn!
Name: Stephan Horvath
Title: Investigator, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives
Class: 1999
After going graduating from
UNCA, I got a law degree from Loyola University in New Orleans, LA. The
education I got from UNCA was superior in every way to the one I got from
Loyola. I thank all of the dedicated professors for my great learning
experience.
Name: Jason Ronai
Title: Assistant Baseball Coach / Physical Education Instructor - United
States Naval Academy - also current officer in the U.S. Navy
Class: 2001
As I student-athlete on the
baseball team, I enjoyed success and obtained valuable experience on the
diamond. Any success I have had after graduation I owe directly to the
educational opportunities and quality of people that were provided to me through
UNC-Asheville. When I obtained my degree in 2001, I knew I had "earned" it and
that I was ready for all that the real world had to offer. It's the people and
the educational experience of UNC-Asheville that I will never forget.
Name: Molly de Mattos
Title: REALTOR, Kim and Company Real Estate
Class: 2002
UNC-Asheville wasn't just a
school that I chose to attend...it became a lifestyle that I was proud to
display. I am forever grateful to the athletic department and the outstanding
academics for helping to shape and mold my future into the success that it is
today.
Name: W. F. Plyler, II
Title: SVP/CCO The East Carolina Bank
Class: 1966
Being a part of the first
four-year class (1966) meant that I had the experience of being involved in a
lot of first-time activities at A-B.
(UNC-A)
That has served me well in
the 40 years since as I used skills learned to handle issues and opportunities
in life and the business of commercial banking.
After all as the first
intramural director, I purchased the first piece of equipment, a football, after
carefully weighing all options.
Name: Melinda Clark
Title: Director of Accounting/TLF, Inc.
Class: 1988
UNCA requirements were
sufficient to meet my future needs-not just present ones. As a result, I did not
have to meet additional undergraduate requirements when I went back for a
Masters as did some of my friends who went to other schools. UNCA looks to the
future and many of us don't realize until many years later how blessed we are
for that!
Name: Diana Kostigen
Title: Marketing/Public Relations Director
Class: Mass Communication Major 2002
Going back to school at 30
seemed risky. But looking back, I'm confident that without UNCA, I would have
never fully realized my goals and dreams.
UNCA gave me a solid
foundation to build on, encouraging individual creativity and innovation.
Professors challenged me and gave me the confidence to pursue a path that led me
to my dream job. I learned the skills needed to write a weekly column for the
Citizen-Times, act as Editor for Light Magazine, and take my company to
greatness with solid marketing and advertising principles and a whole lot of
"buzz." UNCA provided direction, role models and hope for MY future!
Name: Jay Van Ooteghem
Title: Nursing student (soon to be RN)
Class: 2002
UNCA was definitely a
finding place in my life. First time living outside of home, however, in a
small, comforting atmosphere is a breeding ground for personal awareness. That
atmosphere is what UNCA was for me. I'm definitely a better person for
attending and can't see myself ever running across another time where I will
learn more by just living.
Name: Ben McGonagil
Title: Sales Manager, Panama City Toyota
Class: 2003
If I could say one thing
about my experience at UNC-Asheville, it’s not necessarily what I learned in the
books, but what I learned from the people associated and around Asheville and
the University that has stayed with me.
Name: Shelley M. Sneed,
M.D.
Title: Gen. and Forensic Psychiatry, Private Practice
Class: 1971
I and my stepdaughter
received very good educations at UNCA. My education prepared me to further my
education with a Master’s Degree in Chemistry and then with a Doctorate in
Medicine. I believe that the small classes at UNCA greatly enhanced both my and
my stepdaughter’s education since we had both graduated from small high
schools. We received a great deal of attention from our professors that I don’t
think that we would have gotten if we had gone to larger universities.
Name: Pamela L. Adams
Title: Colonel, US Army Reserve (USAR)
Class: 1976
UNCA’s initiatives today
signify the contributions of tomorrow. As UNCA alumni, we share immense pride
in UNCA’s well-deserved distinction and recognition as one of the top Liberal
Arts Universities in the USA. To the incomparable UNCA Administration, Faculty
and Staff—many thanks for making our world a better place.
Extraordinary UNCA education
has retained a remarkable status—leading edge and relevant to today’s
ever-changing situations. We give great credit to the superior UNCA
preparation. The UNCA experience enhanced abilities to succeed in professional
and civic endeavors, and most recently during my 2004 military service in Iraq
where I exercised command and control of 2100 soldiers and airmen in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
UNCA’s outstanding support
for success has served us and countless others well. Exemplary UNCA faculty
mentorship, quality programs, and visionary leadership provided my husband,
Stephen D. Harvey Class of 1978, and me with valuable lessons learned that
continue to benefit significantly.
Name: Mike Whitt
Title: CEO, IOC (Information Objectives Consultants), Inc.
Class: 1975
We are constantly challenged
to exert our power to observe over our willingness to believe.
Name: Cherry C. Crisp
Title: 4th Grade Teacher
Class: Spring 2004
Breathe the mountain air and
grab the education. UNC Asheville will allow you to capture and follow your
dreams.
Name: Charlotte Lane
Title: Vice President, Mary Chiles Hospital (KY)
Class: 1999
The quality of education and
professors at UNCA was top-notch. I can really see this now having lived other
places in the US.
Name: Mark Sanders
Title: Librarian – East Carolina University
Class: 1998
I have never forgotten the
wonderful classes and professors I had at UNCA. Everyday brings new challenges
that I am better prepared to face because of my experiences at UNCA.
Name: Kim Angelon
Class: 2001
The experience I gained at
UNC Asheville prepared me for life after college and gave me a broader view of
the world. The people I worked, learned and had fun with became my mentors, my
friends, and even my second family.
Name: Tracy V. Wilson
Title: Staff Writer, HowStuffWorks
Class: 1997
My UNCA education is
directly responsible for my career success. I use all of the skills I developed
in my major and in the humanities program – research, writing, critical
thinking, and the ability to integrate different disciplines and draw
conclusions from complex materials – in my job every day. I wouldn’t be where I
am now without UNCA.
Name: Andy Digh
Title: Associate Professor of Computer Science, Mercer University
Class: 1992
I will forever be grateful
to my UNCA professors for the love of learning they instilled in me, as well as
their true dedication to teaching and students. From that very first semester,
I knew they cared about me and I couldn’t help but get excited about the
subjects they taught me with so much enthusiasm. To this day, I reflect back on
my humanities courses and see so many connections to this awesome world around
us. Thanks UNCA!
Name: Darrell Keller
Title: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
Class: 1996
The Humanities Program at
UNC-A has profoundly influenced my life. The solid foundation laid down by the
program has given me the ability to critically evaluate my life and my working
environment. By knowing where mankind has been, it is much easier to evaluate
where we are going. By providing focus on the “big picture,” Humanities made it
much easier to continue follow-on work on a Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts.
Name: Phil Alexander
Class: 1988 BA Mass Communication, BA Classics (Greek)
I am no longer in my major
field, but in my work with young people heading to college under athletic
scholarships, I recommend schools that provide liberal arts as a basis for their
programs. My education at UNC Asheville opened up my eyes to a broader world
and helps me to think critically on and off the job. Plus, I met my wife, Judy
Burgess, in college! So that truly made it a successful experience!
Name: Loren Caldwell
Title: Clinical Research Coordinator, Duke University Medical Center
Class: 2003
Every minute of my time at UNCA has stayed with me. My professors, the lifelong
friends, the atmosphere and the mountains are an oasis in my mind. I hope to
visit soon!
Name: Heather Quinn
Title: Regulatory Compliance Analyst, Humana Inc.
Class: 1996
My
time at UNCA helped me to understand that every trial & turn would lead me to
where I need to be. Humanities lectures, changing majors without changing lives
& the possibility of being a success without following the original path. UNCA
made me appreciate real life & the ability to be a real person. That plus
philosophical discussions all along Tunnel Rd. I hope undergrads here can find
the opportunity that T & I did-to stare at the majestic Blue Ridge & wish that
these days will never end.
Name: Molly Zink
Class: 1997
My time at UNCA was the most enriching, rewarding experience of my life. I have
professors that I still think about on a daily basis.
William Todd Lassiter
President/Owner ~ Shepherd's Way Day Sch.
1989 ~ Management
My decision to attend UNC Asheville was one of the best decisions I've ever
made. The life-long benefits of my UNC Asheville education cannot be measured.
Mike Bowers
Clemson University
2006
For me, being a student at UNC Asheville meant challenging who I am and who I
want to be. The experiences I had and the people I met cannot be emulated
anywhere else, and the lessons I learned I still recall upon today.
Tiffanie Tatum
Graduate Student of Walden University
Class of 2006
UNC Asheville has open so many doors for me. I have been able to meet and
get to know the Mayor Terry Bellamy well, able to interact with the Asheville
community and explore new avenues of life. It has allow me to stay focus and
accomplish a goal of finish the university in less than 4 years. I would not
change anything about my college experience. As the people in City Hall,
community members of Asheville, and other community members of North Carolina
have all said UNC Asheville is the best well known secret.
Cynthia (Boston) Robbins
Media Relations Supervisor, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
1994
Some of the best experiences of my life happened during the four years I spent
in Asheville. My friends from UNCA helped me adjust to life in the South, and my
professors helped me adjust to life as a grown-up. It's hard to hide in a class
of ten people-especially when the professor knows your name and where you live!
I tell everyone about my small-school experience-and how the incredible
education I received prepared me for a successful career in television and now
public relations.
Dr
David Hires
CEO, CBC Counseling
1988
"The teacher must always remember that the greatest achievement of the human
mind is not idealism, but realism. To dream is a mortal's boat, to understanding
his sail, to aspire his wind, to give all of these to another, is to travel the
great expanse a mundane existence." Dr David Hires - 11/22/1998
Saeed M Karmustaji
Employee Relations Section Leader, Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company, UAE
1996
Although I was thousands of miles away from home (being from Dubai, UAE in the
Middle East), I never really felt that I was a stranger to UNCA. Twelve years
have passed since graduation, but I still remember every friend and professor's
face and name. I wish if I could visit UNCA sometime, but I know that the
remarkable experience of living and studying will never be repeated for me.
Enjoy the beautiful life and education in UNCA, because for many its once in a
lifetime experience.
Tabitha Renaldi
Graduate Student
2001
I felt like I was at home when I attended UNC-Asheville. Everyone that is
envolved with UNCA is very friendly and helpful. I loved all my classes. I miss
the school and Asheville. I hope to visit one day soon.
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