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Spring 2012

Printed version of the PACKParents newsletter You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the following PDF. You can download it here.

2011 Family of the Year

One student wrote about her family’s personal and professional sacrifices leaving Hong Kong and immigrating to the United States in order for their children to have better educational opportunities. Another student wrote about how, even in the midst of final exams, her mother’s death motivated her to get her best grades ever – because her parents had instilled the lesson to ‘never give up;’ and she wanted to make them proud. These two touching stories stood out among the 27 essays students submitted for the 2011 NC State Family of the Year Award, which honors the unconditional supportive roles families play in the success of students.

As a tribute to all families of NC State students, the University recognizes one outstanding family during Parents& Families Weekend each year. Each year, students are invited to write essays nominating their families for the honor. Each essay is judged based on evidence of the family’s support of the student’s education, support of North Carolina State University, and creativity. This year, in a fitting tie, the families of Crystal Tsang, a junior in the Poole College of Management, and Caroline Funkhouser, a junior in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, were awarded the 2011 NC State Family of the Year Award.

In honor of her mother, Candy Yung, father, John Tsang, and brother and fellow NC State student, William Tsang, Crystal writes “My family’s love and support has brought me across an ocean, through a language barrier, and into the halls of NC State. If you asked me what helped me face the struggles I encountered and why my parents did the things they did, I’d tell you it was love.” An Accounting major, Crystal is a member the National Residence Hall Honorary, University Scholars, and head Resident Advisor for Metcalf Hall.

In honor of her father, Ed Funkhouser and late mother, Ellen Teague, Caroline writes, “I did not miss one moment of school after my mother’s death; because that’s what she would have wanted. She was not a quitter. This school is not about quitting. Being a member of the Wolfpack is not about quitting. She taught me that even before she became my angel. Her love and dedication to this university reside in me, and she will always be a part of the Wolfpack family.” She adds, “My father helped create an incredibly strong bond between this university and myself, a bond that I still carry with me. He is my living motivation. He embodies the words of the great Jimmy V: ‘Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.’” Caroline is currently majoring in Communication Media. She has made the Dean’s List each semester of her enrollment and recently studied abroad in Segovia, Spain.

Crystal, Caroline, and their families were recognized with a presentation during the Parents & Families Weekend NC State v. GA Tech football game on Saturday, October 1, 2011. Chancellor Randy Woodson and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Tom Stafford presented the families of Crystal and Caroline each with a commemorative plaque and $500 book scholarship.

To read the winning essays and learn more about the Family of the Year Award, go to www.ncsu.edu/for_parents.

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