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The first time I met Peaches, you could tell that she was not shy. Serving on the Board
of Trustees with Peaches Blank is like sitting on the front row of a boxing match. The fervor,
the energy, the commitment, the enthusiasm she brings to all her efforts at NC State
are legendary. Since 1946 there’s been a real profound Gaston County influence on the
Board of Trustees, in fact this total university. Dan Gunner and Duke Kimbrell started it back
then. Peaches took it to a whole ‘nother level with a Gaston County vocabulary I can’t
repeat much of tonight. I came from parents who, through example,
taught us that we should give back to the community. Pick something that you’re passionate
about and go for it and try to make a difference. And lucky for me, NC State accepted me to
do a few things around this campus, and so it’s been, it’s been fun.
I had the pleasure of knowing Peaches in several ways. I knew Peaches as a student, in student
government. I knew Peaches when I worked at the legislature, and I also saw Peaches’
work when I was, when she was on the Board of Governors and I was working at GA. And
it was amazing to me that in the room Peaches was always the most prepared person. She was
always very thoroughly researched. She came armed with stories of NC State and great Wolfpack
success stories. She also came armed with just a desire to advocate for and just to
be a great voice for us at NC State. I love the fact that our students have done
so much in service and in community spirit. Jenny Chang who was student body president,
the late Jenny Chang, she developed Service Raleigh. She challenged the Board of Trustees
to come out and join the students and work one Saturday. I cannot believe that Saturday
that we sweated in Raleigh to improve part of the community. That was started by students.
Look at the Krispy Kreme Challenge. My goodness, now it’s grown from a few students who took
it on a dare to tens of thousands who come to raise money for the North Carolina Children’s
Hospital. That’s a student activity. What’s more fun than to watch the things that they
can do? So, Peaches always believes in the greatness
of NC State and the legacy and the tradition of NC State. And that is something that really,
really has impacted me a great, a great amount. You know, it’s one thing to be proud of
your institution, and it’s another thing to know that alumni are out there spreading
the word about your institution while you’re a student. And there’s a great obligation
now that she has taught each of us that we have, to do the same. So, you know, part of
her legacy is building these vocal leaders who are out telling the story of NC State
across the country and across the world. And that’s something that I’m very proud to
say that Peaches has instilled in me and instilled it into a large number of my peers.
I mean, we’re a place where innovation occurs, where discovery is taken to the marketplace.
We are going to be the center of so much happening and we’ve been, been that way. Walk on Centennial
Campus, an example of a public-private partnership where universities across the nation come
to see what we’re doing here. We’ve been doing it for quite a long time. They’re
just now in the ball game. This Centennial Campus is a place that’s taken some ninety
corporations and taken them public. That’s an important part not just to our state, but
to the nation and globally. Our scientists are making research happen everywhere. That
applied research is really what’s going to change the world.
Now, she made one mistake. So there’s one mistake that I won’t let her off the hook
for. She let Riley Ann get away without getting an NC State degree. So, the message I have
for Peaches and Riley Ann is now that she has a master’s, we can still let her get
a Ph.D. here at NC State one day in the future. Peaches, thank you for your tremendous service
to this university and thank you for your decades of partnership, enthusiasm, and really
demonstration of leadership to all of us. I look forward to what we can do for NC State
in the future together. Peaches, on behalf of the student leaders
of NC State, we want to congratulate you on your Watauga Medal. It’s one of the highest
honors for one of the finest alumni we have in our Wolfpack family. Congrats and thank
you.