Story by Rachel Young | Video by Talia Rodriguez and Rachel Young

I’ve been a Wolfpack fan my entire life.

My dad and granddad are both NC State alumni. My granddad, Wendell S. Young Sr., graduated in 1950, and my dad, Wendell S. Young Jr., known as Sam, followed in 1976. Growing up, I remember my weekends being soundtracked by them shouting at the TV during basketball games, neither capable of sitting down while the Cardiac Pack was playing. My granddad spent decades as an extension agent for NC State Extension, meaning there was always a stray Wolfpack ballcap lying around.

Naturally, in my junior year of high school, we took the official campus tour. Dad was eager to show me his old stomping grounds and tell me tall tales about leaving a shopping cart on top of Harrelson Hall. I was excited, too, ready to see where the NC State family legacy began and imagine myself walking those same halls.

Dear reader, I hated it.

It was too hot; there were too many bricks; the campus felt like an endless maze. Much to my dad’s chagrin, I broke the family line and headed off to UNC Greensboro to study — gasp — theatre.

Yet, here we are. Somehow, the universe has a sense of humor, and I found my way back to the Pack anyway. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As the social media manager for NC State Alumni, my day job is showing the world how incredible it is to be a part of this community. Over the last four years, I’ve had a literal front-row seat to some of the greatest moments in recent university history: witnessing the legendary dual Final Four runs, meeting astronaut Christina Koch, and standing on the turf for that electric homecoming win over Georgia Tech last year.

It’s given me a unique, full-circle perspective to share with my dad, especially since my granddad passed away shortly before I took this role. Now, every time I step onto the field at Carter-Finley, I text Dad a selfie. He always replies, telling me to say hi to his “close personal friend,” the chancellor. (Spoiler: They have never met.)

We’ve gone to football and basketball games together, and I’ve gotten the privilege of showing him around a campus that has changed dramatically in the 50 years since he graduated.

Speaking of 50 years, this past May marked a massive milestone: my dad’s induction into the Golden Grads Forever Club.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Golden Grads Forever Club, let me introduce you to one of NC State’s coolest traditions. Back in the 1980s, when the classes of the 1930s hit their 50-year graduation anniversaries, a few alumni decided to get together and reminisce. Today, the GGFC is nearing its own 50th anniversary and keeps our oldest alumni connected through tours, virtual classes and reunion weekends.

Of course, because I’m a proud kid with a camera phone, I couldn’t just let him attend. I had to tag along to document his entire reunion weekend.

Dad and his fellow Golden Grads toured the Vet Med campus and took a Belltower tour with the legend himself, Dr. Thomas H. Stafford Jr., retired vice chancellor for student affairs. They also learned about the future of AI from an NC State professor and wrapped up the evening with dinner at Amedeo’s. Dad received his Forever Club medallion during a reception with special guest speaker Alvin Battle, a cool moment for my dad, who had watched that legendary 1983 championship game alongside my granddad.

We also stopped at the Park Alumni Center to look at my granddad’s memorial brick, honoring his legacy as both a WWII veteran and a dedicated alumnus. Then, naturally, we hit Wolfpack Outfitters so Dad could buy a fresh Wolfpack polo.

Watching my dad connect with old classmates — people he shared a campus with half a century ago but may have never met at the time — was a great reminder of the Pack’s lifelong bond. But the true highlight of the weekend happened at commencement, where he and his fellow Golden Grads were featured on the big screen at Carter-Finley Stadium. While we were there, I finally got him down onto the field to film a special video interview. Conducted by me, of course.

It’s hard to put into words what sharing this NC State connection with my dad means to me. Exactly 50 years after his graduation and 20 years after I said “absolutely not” to going to school here, everything in our lives seems to tie back to this university.

While my granddad never got to see me work at his alma mater, his connection to NC State still lingers. After he passed, I moved into his house and got a job at the university. His NC State Alumni magnet is still stuck to the refrigerator. I inherited his vintage Diamond S logo windbreaker. Both his and my dad’s class rings sit inside my desk at work.

It’s a family thing, I guess.

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🎥 Watch Rachel’s interview with her dad on the field at Carter-Finley Stadium.