Meet Greg Stewart, All Ways Up Scholar of the Month!

What made you choose your university? How do/did you like it?

I chose to attend North Carolina A&T for several reasons. One reason why I chose to attend A&T is because my mother is an alumna. I also chose to attend my university because they offered me a partial scholarship for my desired degree of finance. A&T was also very close to home and allowed me to come see my family whenever I needed. I absolutely loved my university and couldn’t have asked for a better college experience.

What was the transition to college like? If you have recently graduated, how has your transition been from college to the workforce?

My transition from college to the workforce has been good so far. My previous internships have definitely made my transition from college to the workforce a lot easier.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently your freshman year?

Looking back, I don’t think I would have done anything differently from my freshman year. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and all my experience’s freshman year allowed me to grow and develop to the person that I am today. I utilized all of the skills and tips I learned from the All Ways Up Program, which was a few months prior to me officially starting college, to maximize my opportunities and experiences my freshman year.

Think of a time in college when you faced an obstacle. What did you do to overcome it?

One obstacle that I faced in college was during my freshman year. I really struggled to understand that my study habits from high school wouldn’t work nor help me progress through my rigorous college classes. I often tried to study the night before for quizzes and tests and performed poorly halfway through my first semester. When midterms came out my academic advisor had a meeting with me and told me that if I continued to have the same academic performance that I would be at risk of losing part of my scholarship and would be on academic probation. This was a huge wake up call and reality check for me. From that day forward, I made a commitment to develop better study habits and time management skills. I took advantage of different resources on campus and went to tutoring to help change some of the bad habits I had developed from high school. As a result, I was able to bring my terrible midterm grades up and finish out the semester with all A’s.

What accomplishments are you most proud of thus far?

My proudest accomplishments thus far include getting an internship after every summer, studying abroad, graduating with a full-time job, and graduating debt free. The All Ways Up Foundation played a significant role in enabling me to achieve all of my accomplishments thus far. The foundation also brought forth the idea of studying abroad which by far was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only did that experience allow me to travel to other countries, it also allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and immerse myself in another culture. In addition to the All Ways Up Foundation helping my family defray the cost of tuition, they also provided me with additional resources that allowed my family and I to search for additional scholarships to enable me to graduate debt free. The All Ways Up Foundation helped me get my first internship which opened up a plethora of additional internship and educational opportunities throughout the rest of my matriculation. I believe that this accomplishment had the most impact thus far because it was paramount in helping me build a foundation to develop my business acumen. Those skills developed were essential to enabling me to get a full-time job after college.

What are your future plans?

My future plans are to try and progress in my current job at ExxonMobil and eventually establish a scholarship fund at my school. The All Ways Up Foundation played a vital role in helping me get to where I am today, and it has empowered me to pay it forward and do the same.

What advice would you give a student of color starting college?

The advice I would give a student of color starting college is to get involved on campus as much as possible and establish a network. I would also tell them to stay open-minded and try new things to get out of their comfort zone. Most importantly, work hard and have fun! College is one of the best times of your life and I would heavily emphasize that their college experience is what they make it. In addition to having fun I would also emphasize for them to always remember why they are there and to never lose sight of the end goal.