A Connecticut native, John Moody ’20 had his mind set on Carolina for college.
Moody double majored in business and history, studying at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School during his time as a student. He later went on to earn his MBA from Indiana University. Moody recently moved back to North Carolina where he is a senior supervisor for Raytheon Technologies.
Through the recommendation of a family member, Moody joined the Young Alumni Leadership Council (YALC), a volunteer group at UNC-Chapel Hill that helps fundraise for the University and advocate on behalf of all Carolina schools, units and programs.
Moody shared his experience on the committee in this Q&A.
What did you study at UNC-Chapel Hill?
“I always planned on going to business school. I was fortunate enough to get in and start my business classes sophomore year. But I didn’t plan on doing a history degree. I took some history classes freshman year, really enjoyed them and took more and more. Eventually, I was like, ‘Hey, I’m 60% of the way there; I might as well just be a little more thoughtful in this and double major.’ I really enjoyed the history classes. They were a break from the more analytical side in the business school. Studying business can be a lot of spreadsheets and math so it was nice to use a different side of the brain than that with my business school classes.”
What initiatives have you seen/worked on during your time on the council?
“I helped out with GiveUNC in March, recruiting family members and friends. And then I sent text messages and email blasts back in November during the Pantry Bowl, which supports the student food bank. Those two events are the ones I definitely did the most to raise general awareness.”
What does the YALC mean to you? Why was it important to you to come back to UNC?
“With Carolina, we had the big fundraising event a couple years ago, the Campaign for Carolina, and if you look at the statistics, a big chunk of donations came from a select few. But there are thousands of individual donors who contributed, and much of their donations are under a certain dollar limit, and that’s really what keeps the University going. Young alumni are the next phase of that support.
As this world becomes more interconnected and dispersed, Carolina alumni aren’t just staying in the Carolinas anymore. We’re going all over the world. So as we go all over the world, having the ability to give back to the University and stay involved financially or through volunteerism becomes even more important. Young alumni are important to the University now, and they’re going to be more important to the University 20 years from now.”
Why should current students join the council when they graduate?
“Carolina is a special place, and you realize that when you’re on campus every day. You realize that even more when you’re not on campus every day, and you’re not a student and you want to be able to give back to that student experience and keep it a special place. And we do that through YALC.
It’s not necessarily being a giant, big-fish donor. It’s not necessarily going out and getting the big-fish donors, but it’s keeping smaller donors around, letting people know what’s going on, and informing not only your friends and family but the Carolina community at large.”
The Young Alumni Leadership Council is a great way for recent Carolina graduates to get involved, give back and connect with other alumni. Click here to learn more about the council and the Young Alumni Carolina Covenant Scholarship Endowment Fund.
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