Each day this week, we'll take a look at different aspects of what Homecoming means at NC State. As we count down to Saturday, we'll highlight new features generated by members of the Wolfpack community at ncsu.edu.

Leading the Wolfpack - Today & Beyond

NC State celebrates students who make outstanding contributions in the areas of leadership, scholarship and community service.

Finalists for Leader of the Pack were selected from a group of 12 semi-finalists, and based on grade-point average, a personal interview, extracurricular activities, written essays on their leadership and service experience and student-body vote. Campus-wide (and online) voting ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. — only current NC State students are eligible to vote. The 2009 Leader of the Pack award recipients will be determined by the cumulative score from all phases of the process, and will be revealed during halftime of Saturday's Homecoming football game.

Brian Parham

Armed with a passion for the environment, NC State junior Brian Parham (Durham, NC) works tirelessly to educate his fellow students about sustainability and sustainable practices on campus.

Parham, the president of the Wolfpack Environmental Student Association, has taken three alternative service break trips to address hunger and environmental issues, and volunteers as an assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 400 in Durham.

"I enjoy being outside and figuring out ways to preserve the resources that we have," Parham said. "I really would like to help make the world more sustainable for future generations."

He was invited to participate in CSLEPS' Leadership in Action program and has served on the Krispy Kreme Challenge logistics committee for three years, helping deal with everything from doughnuts to race-course preparations.

"NC State has, above all else, provided me with extraordinary experiences that have helped make me who I am today," Parham said. "Through interactions with fellow students in the classroom, organizations and service activities, I have grown into a stronger, more confident person."

Catie Acitelli

For as long as she can remember, Catie Acitelli ('12) has wanted to be an teacher, making a real difference in the lives of her future students. As a Students Advocating for Youth (SAY) mentor, she's been able to get a head start in the classroom, working with at-risk students in and out of educational settings.

"I have a true passion for helping others, and I feel like being in the classroom is the best way to do that on a day-to-day basis," said Acitelli, a mathematics major from Weddington, NC. "I want to make a difference – if I can positively influence one person's life in some way, I will be genuinely happy."

Acitelli has been involved in Stop Hunger Now, Habitat for Humanity and Shack-a-Thon, and is minoring in Spanish so that she can better impact the lives of those who speak America's fastest-growing second language.

"Math is the universal language," she said, "but how can one actually learn the material to the best of their ability if there is such a language barrier that needs to be overcome?

"It is my dream to break that down in my classroom."

Dan Claff

A Benjamin Franklin Scholar, Dan Claff ('11) was drawn to NC State because of the program's focus on developing multidisciplinary engineers through complimentary studies in the Humanities.

"Being an engineer allows me to solve challenging problems while serving people," said Claff (Herndon, Va.). "My work allows others to succeed in their life and work by providing necessary infrastructure, and allows me the opportunity to work with those people to solve problems.

"One person may be able to accomplish a lot, but often that is little in comparison with the power of a team."

Claff witnessed this philosophy first-hand in Ecuador, working to build houses for Habitat for Humanity, and on campus as a member of the Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra – he's an accomplished cellist – and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

"NC State has, in large part, defined who I am," he said. "I was an active leader in my community before coming to college, but NC State has transformed those experiences into helping me become a well-rounded, socially minded, globally active civil engineer."

Nicole Machado

Nicole Machado ('11) first ventured into textiles after become fascinated with the television show Trading Spaces. The show offers homeowners a unique way to re-imagine themselves in new surroundings – something Machado says she was able to do on a personal level since her arrival on campus.

"When I came to NC State, I was very conservative and realized how sheltered my upbringing had been," said Machado, a textile and apparel management major. "I really branched out of my norm and learned so much about different aspects of life that I previously wasn't focused on, like politics and large-scale change and development.

"I've also improved my leadership skills and professional skills through organizations and with the help of my peers and role models."

Machado is heavily involved in serving the Latino community both on and off campus, and is an active member of Mi Familia, SHPE and Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority. The Fayetteville, NC, native has participated in Service NC State, Service Raleigh, Shack-a-Thon and volunteers at both Kids Café and a local high school.

"Through these different avenues I have been able to positively impact a variety of people while developing as a college student and professional," she said.

Rebecca Bishopric

An avid equestrian, Rebecca Bishopric ('11) came to NC State with plans to pursue veterinary medicine. But as she explored the campus and classes around her, a passion for global public health began to blossom.

"Within global health, there are issues that all of us can relate to, whether it is the increasing obesity in the United States or how to deal with H1N1 circulating in our work or school," she said. "The programs at NC State have shaped my global perspectives and prepared me for my current endeavors and for a life of service-based leadership."

Bishopric still manages to spend much of her service time on horseback, serving as treasurer of Collegiate 4-H, as a co-founder of the Wolfpack Western Riding Club and working with CORRAL, a faith-based, non-profit organization that identifies at-risk teenage girls in the Raleigh area and pairs them with mentors and foster horses. She has also served on the University Scholars Council, and participated in university events like Service NC State and the Krispy Kreme Challenge.

Taylor Massey

Cycling across America may seem like a daunting task to most, but not Taylor Massey ('10), who rode 4,056 miles to support Habitat for Humanity and share NC State's passion for service with those who crossed his path.

A works project officer for the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Massey traveled from Charleston, SC, to Santa Cruz, CA over the course of 81 days, working on homes in seven different cities with local affordable-housing organizations.

"As I traveled across the country, I was able to bring NC State to the rest of the country," said Massey, who helps lead local Habitat workdays and mentor volunteers almost every weekend. "I brought our dedication to service and community involvement to many small towns all across the nation."

Massey is currently the president of the Tompkins Textile Student Council, and helped research at Hong Kong Polytechnic University two summers ago.

"NC State has helped me develop into a leader and someone who is dedicated to helping the community around him," Massey said.