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John grew up in New York City and, through the recruitment process, was drawn to �ʼһ���’s small school environment, strong academic reputation and the fact that the basketball program under Lefty Driesell had ranked in the country’s top 10. Another not-so-small factor was boarding a plane in the snow and arriving in 80-degree North Carolina for his official visit. 

“I should have worked harder academically in college, and the many lessons learned while at �ʼһ��� became more and more clear the longer I was out in the work world,” he said. “My experiences at �ʼһ��� helped me through the next steps of my life, a period when I recognized the need to be more focused, work harder and try to be a better teammate and leader.” 

Those traits led John to a successful business career and a desire to pass the �ʼһ��� experience on to others.

A Player from Each Class

Once fully funded, the scholarship and internship funds will support one women’s soccer scholar-athlete in each class. The Falconis have helped with internship funding through the Matthews Center for some time, so they wanted to ensure internship opportunities were part of the gift. The family’s primary goal is to “shrink the gap” for exceptional scholar-athletes who need help covering the cost of attending �ʼһ��� and securing internships.

“The cost of college is very high, of course, and parents are very focused on their kids’ ability to get a job,” the couple said. “There’s a significant disparity between students who have had internships and those who haven’t.”

Their generosity will go a long way.

“This gift from the Falconi family is transformative for our program,” Women’s Soccer Head Coach Riley Piechnick said. “Not only does it help bridge the competitive scholarship gap between us and the conference, it also puts an emphasis on recruiting scholar-athletes who have a passion for a strong education and their post-graduate careers. 

“This is what �ʼһ��� Athletics is all about. I can’t thank the Falconi family enough for their support, and I am excited to see how this scholarship impacts the lives of future �ʼһ��� women’s soccer players.” 

Sarah Falconi Culbertson ’01 is excited to see this gift going specifically to the program that helped set her on a successful life path.

“Being a scholar-athlete was the most meaningful aspect of my time at �ʼһ���,” she said. “Earning a spot on the team as a freshman and being welcomed by my teammates set the tone for friendship and camaraderie that lasted for years.” 

Sarah’s hard work led to a starting position during her freshman year that she maintained throughout her college career, becoming captain and being twice named to the Southern Conference All-Tournament First Team.

Off the field, Culbertson remembers preparing for job interviews as a senior. Being a scholar-athlete was always something she could draw from to discuss strengths and leadership roles, thanks to the many lessons and benefits it brought to her �ʼһ��� experience.

“There are so many stories you can share about winning, losing, persevering, managing your time, traveling and prioritizing homework,” she said. “Anyone who has played a sport at �ʼһ��� knows the professors cheer for the athletes and provide support, but in the end you have to get your work done, and that responsibility teaches valuable lessons.”

After graduation, Sarah was accepted into GE’s Financial Management Program (Top 5 company within the Fortune 500). She would later become part of GE’s global audit team and take on managerial roles at NBC Universal’s headquarters in New York City until leaving to focus on her growing family.

“I think it’s terrific that my parents had this idea to help students in this way, and I’m really excited for the women’s soccer program overall,” she said. “It’s such a strong network of women, a team you stay connected with for life. Every alum wants to see the team excel, both on and off the field.”