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Game Time and Family Time

�ʼһ��� is a destination for families, students and alumni from around the world. A steady stream of prospective students visit campus throughout the year. Annual milestone events, such as commencement and class reunions, fill hotels and restaurants with thousands of visitors. 

“Whether it’s [family] weekend or students coming back or graduation being a big one, we kind of mark these on our calendar and say, ‘All right, this is the week,’” said Stevie Mangum, a manager at the Pickled Peach café, in �ʼһ���. “We know there are going to be a lot of new faces coming in from out of town and a lot more foot traffic.” 

The college draws crowds to academic and athletic contests throughout the year. High-profile speakers, performers and the college’s 21 Division I athletic teams attract spectators from across the country.

“We get it all,” said Nick Lyssikatos, owner of the Brickhouse restaurant, in �ʼһ���. “Game days, family weekends – it’s a huge impact for our restaurant.” 

Graduates Who Keep On Giving

�ʼһ��� students continue investing in their community after graduation. North Carolina is home to 2,700 �ʼһ��� alumni, and about half of those live in the Charlotte area. These talented graduates contribute to the economy and community. 

“The �ʼһ��� education instills that life of service, that commitment to service, and so it just fits right in,” said Kieth Cockrell, president of Bank of America Charlotte. “They want to make a contribution, not only to the firm that they decide to begin their career with or practice their profession with, but there’s that degree of commitment to serving others that we see coming out of �ʼһ��� grads all the time.” 

Cockrell’s company competes with Wells Fargo, where Mary Tabb Mack recently retired as CEO of Consumer and Small Business Banking. The pair and their employers have, however, teamed up repeatedly to support civic and nonprofit projects that support the Charlotte area. Both companies also have hired dozens of �ʼһ��� graduates over the years, and Mack, a 1984 �ʼһ��� alum, emphasized those alums’ capacity to lead, in the office and in the community. 

“They’re resilient,” Mack said. “A big part of leadership is having the ability to pivot when necessary, to overcome obstacles, to come back from failure — and learn from it to have an even greater impact.” 

Using standard methodology, the economic analysis of �ʼһ��� estimates that an alum earns an approximately $26,000 premium due to the value that employers put on a �ʼһ��� degree. Those wages turn into spending that generates an economic infusion of $46 million in and around Charlotte. That number tops $100 million statewide.

“�ʼһ���’s alumni salary premium benefits the region and state on several levels,” Huang said. “The college’s graduates make more money than their peers, so they pay more in taxes to support the community and state. They spend more at stores, restaurants, doctors and auto repair shops. And these alums’ careers help build strong families, which support stronger neighborhoods and communities.”

More Than Money

�ʼһ���’s commitment to civic leadership and community engagement fosters a culture of responsible citizenship among its students, faculty and staff. �ʼһ��� students perform 73,000 hours of community service every year, modeling lives of leadership and service. Students’ recent projects included: introducing targeted Mecklenburg County high school students to college opportunities through field trips to local colleges; developing a database to guide distribution of a free tutoring program for underserved Mecklenburg preschools; and helping develop a data dashboard on housing, healthcare and early childhood education for north Mecklenburg.

The college’s impact, Huang said, pushes well beyond its campus and into the future.