I hope I made a difference in some way.
This university is very fortunate indeed to have Max Ray Joyner as an alumnus, a leader and a friend.
Max and his wife Kitty, as he would call her, 'Miss Kitty,' were just incredibly generous.
Those gifts have been across the entire spectrum of the campus – from athletics, to the arts,
to a scholarship in the school of nursing, to a scholarship in the EC Scholars award
program and the Honors College – those are just a few of the things that they contributed to.
It would take us a long time to recount them all.
A lot of these students could not have gone to college unless they had gotten a scholarship.
I'm an EC Scholar and Max Ray Joyner sponsored my scholarship.
I've eaten lunch with him a couple of times.
He makes an effort to come out to donor luncheons and scholar events.
It's helped me tremendously the scholarship and his donation just because, well, I'm
a twin, so my parents trying to send two kids to college at the same time, that would be a lot.
The least little thing can change your whole life.
I started at Chapel Hill.
I went in the service.
I had my records changed from Chapel Hill to East Carolina.
I didn't have good grades at Chapel Hill, so the registrar said, 'You're going to
have to go back to Chapel Hill to get your grades up before you can enroll here.
My sister-in-law said, 'You go back over there and see Leo Jenkins.'
I said, 'Who is he?'
So, I went back over there.
He said, 'What can I help you with?'
So, I told him.
'Max Joyner's coming down there, register him.
Anything else you want me to do?'
I said, 'No.'
If it hadn't been for that instance I wouldn't've been here today – I don't know where I would have been?
Pretty much my dreams are in the process of becoming true, thanks to this scholarship.
Without the EC Scholars program, without Max Joyner probably wouldn't've been possible.
I'm actually interning this summer with Georgia Aquarium.
That was just a dream for me last year or the year before that and now it's actually a reality now.
I've enjoyed giving cause there's a big need for scholarships.
He has been in virtually every leadership role an alumnus could be in.
He was a founding member of the ECU Foundation Board.
He was on the Board of Trustees where he was chair.
He was chair of the Alumni Association board.
You name it, he was chair.
What the professorship has allowed us to do is help expand our efforts and coordinating
our departments within the medical school and within the medical campus to provide better
health for eastern North Carolina.
He has recognized for the work that is done at ECU and helps to spread that work out to
the community of eastern North Carolina as a whole and I think it's only appropriate
that ECU comes back and recognizes that amazing work that he's done.
Thank you so much for all of your support, I'm really looking forward to meeting you
more and more with the upcoming years and seeing all of the things that are possible
with this scholarship.
When I get into my career, I think philanthropy is very important.
He's kind of instilled that in me since before freshman year when I received the award.
I've been thankful for it ever since.
Max, I would just say to you, that our friendship over all of these many years, has been a treasure
to me and it's been a treasure to Jo.
He is East Carolina University, through and through.
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