Family Footsteps

Editor’s note: The work and impact of NC State Alumni Regional Networks and events like Legacy Luncheon are made possible through generous donors who support the Alumni Impact Fund.

It’s a Wolfpack story 100 years in the making, and it all started when Kenneth Winston Sr. attended NC State and graduated with the class of 1926.

That was five generations ago. Fast forward to 2025 when Helen Phifer ’85 got the call inviting her to Legacy Luncheon. She cried happy tears. Her great niece Jenali would be starting at State this fall as part of a long family line that all started with Jenali’s great, great grandfather. 

“I hope she has as much fun as I did and has the opportunities that my education from State gave me. I think saying I had a degree from NC State opened a lot of doors,” said Phifer.

“My grandfather started all of this for us and really built a strong sense of loyalty and family. NC State is much more than a school to us. We feel at home here. This is part of our life,” said Lisa Winston Miller ’77, Jenali’s grandmother. 

Miller met her husband at State. “He was my brother’s friend, and he’s the only one my brother would allow me to date in that fraternity.”

Her now-husband Tom ’76 was active in ROTC while at NC State and after college joined the Air Force before pursuing a career in the airline industry. One campus memory that stands out for him was the men’s basketball winning the NCAA national championship. “I didn’t miss a home game that whole season when they played in Reynolds,” he said.

And so continues the family line.

“We grew up NC State coming to all the football games and tailgating back in the early days,” Lisa added. “I’m so glad that Jenali is going to get to experience and create her own memories.”

Jenali got into each of the eight schools she applied to, so her dad Jimmy said it was a relief when she chose State. “She had tons of options. NC State was the best fit and made the most sense. We’re really proud of her and excited about the years to come,” he said.

Families, like Jenali’s enjoyed a special pinning ceremony at Legacy Luncheon, words from Chancellor Kevin Howell and a Wolfpack welcome from the NC State marching band. They shared in a pledge to honor the legacy and uphold the traditions that make NC State special.

Jenali is joining a record-breaking NC State freshman class of 5,800 students. Like so many other students starting this school year, she has big hopes and dreams for the years ahead.

“I hope to do well in my classes. Obviously I hope to make some new friends,” she said. “My class was pretty small so I don’t know very many people here yet, and I’m excited to meet new [friends], go to football games and all of [the college] things.”

Her memories of the Wolfpack legacy span all the way back to her childhood and her great-grandmother. “She’d hold me at the football games. It was very fun. My aunt always took us to go see – we called ’em the sparkle girls – we would walk around the stadium and go see the cheerleaders and the sparkle girls. We had a lot of fun,” she said.

June Winston, a Wolfpacker by marriage and the great-grandmother who used to hold Jenali at games, said when her son Paul finished college in 76, Kenneth went to his 25th reunion and Mr. Winston Sr. went to his 50th reunion. “That’s how far back it goes,” she said.

Winston had one word to describe the family’s love for the Wolfpack. With a straight face she said, “Oh, they’re all crazy,” then let out a laugh, “about the wolf.”

Legacy Luncheon Highlights

Words of encouragement from Student Alumni Association President Kylee O’Keefe.

Students wrote a letter to their future self.

The NC State alma mater.