Gift Bolsters CHASS Impact Scholars Program

In an exemplary display of generosity and commitment to empowering the next generation of critical thinkers and responsible citizens, NC State alumna Ghazale Johnston and her husband Andy have donated a significant gift to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Impact Scholars Program.

The Ghazale and Andy Johnston Impact Scholars Endowment provides sustained resources and a transformative boost to the young program, founded in 2021. As such, it ensures that students from low-income, first-generation, rural and other underserved communities have enhanced financial and programmatic opportunities to succeed.

“Gifts like the one Ghazale and Andy Johnston made enable us to strengthen NC State’s foundation for the future,” said Chancellor Randy Woodson. “Their gift will leverage our achievements, enhance our reputation as the school of choice for promising scholars from North Carolina and beyond, and demonstrate that we have so much more to think and do.”

The Johnston’s donation – made as part of NC State’s annual Day of Giving – endows the program’s scholarship funds, enabling the college to continue offering students a $2,000 scholarship for their first year. As the Johnston’s endowment grows, the scholarship will transition from a one-year award to up to a four-year award, ensuring consistent financial aid for students.

Investing in the program’s future is important to the Johnstons.

“We were inspired not only to make NC State the most desirable option for stellar students who have financial hardships but also to ensure their college experience could be amplified by the types of high-impact experiences that yield benefits beyond their time at the university,” said Ghazale Johnston. The 1996 graduate earned a B.A. in multidisciplinary studies with a minor in Spanish and a B.S. in textile management. 

Impact Scholars have 11% more financial need than other undergraduates in the college. To help meet that need, the program has awarded scholarships to six to eight students annually in the three years since it began.

The program also provides funds for high-impact practices such as internships, study abroad and undergraduate research. These hands-on learning opportunities provide students with transferable skills and experiences that allow them to have a greater impact in their communities and workplaces within and outside of NC State.

First-year participants of the program engage in workshops covering diverse topics. They include study abroad opportunities, undergraduate research methodologies, internship strategies, resume and cover letter writing, LinkedIn usage, and informational interviewing techniques.

“My hope is for our gift to offset the cost of attending the university so students have more flexibility in how they spend their time outside the classroom,” Johnston said. “We believe there is significant value in pursuing leadership opportunities on campus and for some students that’s not possible if they have to use their free time working to pay rent.” 

Johnston knows all too well the value of such opportunities. While at NC State she was an active student and she is now an engaged alumna.

She is a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, and formerly served as chair of the NC State University Foundation Board of Directors. She is also a member of Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy.

The Johnstons are also passionate about the value of the humanities and social sciences and have benefitted from them professionally and personally, Johnston said.

“Advances in society rely on objectively analyzing information and understanding the universal experiences we have as humans – principles that matter when it comes to nurturing relationships and being good citizens,” she added. 

Through the Impact Scholars Program students develop the creative, communication and critical thinking skills they’ll need to be successful now and in the future.

Just ask Taylor Moore, an Impact Scholar, who graduated this spring with a psychology degree. Moore said the program helped her decide to pursue a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology.

“My career goals changed due to my experiences while studying abroad,” Moore said. “Instead of attending medical school to become a medical doctor, I realized I wanted to focus on research as I did in Prague. I hope to work in a clinical lab as a medical researcher and study memory loss to understand the cause of diseases like Alzheimer’s and search for a cure.”

Advances in society rely on objectively analyzing information and understanding the universal experiences we have as humans.

The Johnstons recognize the significance of preparing students to navigate life after college and follow their academic and professional dreams.

“I have tremendous confidence in this next generation of students,” said Johnston, a career advisor to aspiring young professionals.

Previously, she was the chief operating officer for Daymaker and worked for 20 years at Accenture as a partner and managing director in the financial services practice.

Andy Johnston is a managing director at Houlihan Lokey, an investment bank and financial services firm, in their Charlotte, North Carolina, office.

The couple’s gift represents the next step in their generosity to NC State and Ghazale Johnston’s longtime advocacy and support of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“NC State showed me I could be a good leader and encouraged me to dream in ways to lead,” Johnston said, adding that she also learned the limitless value of caring for those around her.

To that end, she set up an endowment in support of the Scholars Network at the college. The program expands the academic and professional opportunities of students who self-identify as Black and/or African-American under the guidance of faculty mentors.

At the university level, she created the Johnston Family Caldwell Fellows Endowment. She and her husband have supported such student initiatives as Pack Essentials and helped endow the Student Emergency Fund.

The Johnston’s gift is part of Celebrating Transformation, a universitywide philanthropy initiative to invest in Chancellor Woodson’s and the university’s strategic priorities.

Their added hope is their gift to the Impact Scholars Fund will encourage others to give back. Looking ahead, they are also optimistic their endowment will continue to grow and impact the lives of deserving students like Taylor Moore, who have big dreams and bright futures.