Ann Neville entered East Carolina University in 1962, straight off her family's farm in Orange County, N.C. She was immediately challenged to look beyond her goal of becoming a high school teacher to strive to become a college professor. This challenge set her on a new journey to achieve her aspirations. She believes her activities at ECU helped shape her into the woman she is today. Ann served as president for the Women's Judiciary and house president of her sorority. While at a board of trustee's event, she was privy to discussions leading to East Carolina's fight for university status and plans for a medical school. Though the battle to gain a medical school at ECU was tough, she is happy that it became a reality.
Ann graduated from ECU with a bachelor's degree in 1966 and a master's degree in 1968. She taught history at Mount Olive College for three years, then moved on to work at the University of Georgia Department of Housing while completing a degree in student personnel administration in higher education. This began her 40-year career as a college administrator and instructor throughout South Carolina and Tennessee. She led an accomplished career until retiring as vice president for student affairs at Martin Methodist College.
A Pirate at Heart
Although Ann worked at other colleges traveled the world, she remained a Pirate at heart. Reconnecting with ECU through the Women's Roundtable, seeing firsthand the progress the university has made, as well as the need to continue this progress, led her to make a gift to help prepare native North Carolinians to provide family medical care in the community.
She established a charitable gift annuity to fund the Ann Neville Scholarship in Family Medicine for the Brody School of Medicine. Ann says she is happy to know that her gift will have a lasting impact on future family practice medical students.
Reconnecting With ECU
Ann's work through the Women's Roundtable has afforded her the opportunity to reconnect to ECU by touring the new family practice quarters, meeting students, and hearing presentations by faculty and administrators. When describing her experience with the Women's Roundtable, she says, "We women alumnae of ECU have a great opportunity to connect with and be involved in the life and future of ECU through the Women's Roundtable. With more than 75,000 female graduates, we are in a position to continue and enhance the ECU mission by our support. As nurturing individuals who care about quality of life, we should give back because East Carolina once gave to us."
Ann is pleasantly surprised to find that the ECU community continues to commit to preparing the sons and daughters of North Carolina to provide medical care to the "homefolks." ECU's tenacity in adhering to its mission over many decades continues to impress her.
Continuing the Journey
When she is not working or volunteering, Ann cheers for Pirate football and the Tennessee Titans, whose running back Chris Johnson is a former ECU player. She also enjoys traveling and has visited places such as Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Panama Canal. When not traveling, Ann enjoys spending time on her farm with her border collie, Tuxedo, and riding her horse— appropriately named Journey.
