Virginia Wesleyan College changed my life... Mike Evans 81, principal, Denbigh High School
Virginia Wesleyan College changed my life... Lindsey Reynolds 98, executive director, Virginia Democratic Party
Virginia Wesleyan College changed my life... Tim Price 86, vice president of retail sales, Tyson Foods, Inc.
... all because of those who contributed to the Annual Fund. Mike Evans 81 is passionate about working with kids. Not only has he been a teacher, assistant principal and principal, he has coached basketball and tennis, and worked at 4H camps and basketball camps. He says his paycheck is in the form of students coming back and telling him he made a difference in their lives. That beats making a lot of money, he says. You don t have to pay taxes on that kind of income. His job now, as principal of Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia, is to be a resource and support person for the teachers. If you don t feed the teachers, they ll eat the students, he says, emphasizing how critical his role is as an administrator. 1584 Wesleyan Drive Norfolk, VA 23502-5599 Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Norfolk, VA Permit No. 27 Mike, a social science major, says that Virginia Wesleyan College prepared him well for his career and for life. A native of Gloucester, Virginia, Mike wanted to attend a small, church-related college close to home. He also wanted to continue his athletic career, which he did by playing basketball at Wesleyan for four years. But Wesleyan offered him the opportunity to extend his education beyond academics and athletics. He was a member of the chorus for two years and took a little ribbing about being a singing athlete, but the experience made him a more well-rounded person. Mike was impressed that, while at Wesleyan, everyone was treated as a person, not a number, and with the diversity of students of all ages and from all walks of life. Mike Evans is making a difference in the lives of young people because people like you contribute to the Virginia Wesleyan Annual Fund.
... all because of those who contributed to the Annual Fund. When Lindsey Reynolds 98 was 3 years old, she put her hands on her hips and announced, I want to be President when I grow up! At 26, she s decided that being President is too stressful, but she enjoys helping others get elected to public office and would someday like to work behind the scenes for the President. As executive director and finance director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, she is responsible for the day-to-day party operations in the state, coordinating local committee activities and serving as a liaison to the Democratic National Committee. She helps General Assembly candidates with their campaigns, works on the state convention and does fundraising. She recently played an important role in securing arrangements for the Democratic National Convention in Boston next July. 1584 Wesleyan Drive Norfolk, VA 23502-5599 Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Norfolk, VA Permit No. 27 A Richmond, Virginia, native, Lindsey didn t grow up in a political family, but her interest grew at Wesleyan where she spent much of her time in political clubs, such as Young Democrats and the Political Science Association. Her favorite professor was Del Carlson, who gave extra credit to students who attended 7 a.m. political breakfasts in Virginia Beach, where she was thrilled to meet candidates. She staged three mock elections on campus, and Dr. Carlson arranged for her to work in a very Republican Virginia Beach precinct during Governor Gilmore s election. At Wesleyan, she learned to juggle many things and to realize, that at the end of the day, The buck stops with me. If there s a problem, I either have to get out of it or take responsibility for it. Lindsey Reynolds is living her dream and shaping the future of the country through politics all because people like you contribute to the Virginia Wesleyan Annual Fund.
... all because of those who contributed to the Annual Fund. Tim Price 86, vice president of retail sales for Tyson Foods, Inc., started his world-class career in business at Virginia Wesleyan College as a Liberal Arts Management Program student. Tim says that when he started college, he didn t have a real understanding of how important furthering his education would be. At that point, my education wasn t the highest priority I just wanted to play basketball, says the Virginia Beach native. But through athletics, he eventually began to mature and understand the need for an education. Virginia Wesleyan s small class environment and faculty support allowed me the structure I needed to develop my skills and interest in my studies, he says. Through those years at Wesleyan, I gained not only a great college education, but several dear friendships which will be with me forever. 1584 Wesleyan Drive Norfolk, VA 23502-5599 Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Norfolk, VA Permit No. 27 Today Tim lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and works as an executive at the largest provider of protein products on the planet. Tyson Foods is the world leader in producing and marketing beef, pork and chicken. I wouldn t be where I am today without the quality of education that I received at Virginia Wesleyan College, says Tim. The small college atmosphere and low student-to-faculty ratio at Wesleyan allowed me to explore my interests and to discover who I wanted to be. Tim Price is a very successful businessman at an international company because people like you contribute to the Virginia Wesleyan Annual Fund.