The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1389905
6 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ WOLFPACK CLUB NEWS Pat McKee grew up in Charleston, W.Va., and while most of his schoolmates were attending college at West Vir- ginia or Virginia Tech, he was caught up in the Wolfpack's run to the 1983 national ti- tle, which occurred during McKee's junior year of high school. Throw in that McKee was interested in either aero- space engineering or veteri- nary medicine, and NC State proved to be a perfect fit. When he graduated, in mechanical engineering, McKee immediately joined the Wolf- pack Club, knowing that he wanted to support Wolfpack sports. Now on Saturdays at Carter-Finley Stadium, you will see McKee with family and friends in their RV making a weekend out of a football game. He calls Philip Rivers his all-time favorite. "I have never seen an athlete that was so competitive and so passionate, yet so cordial and respectful for other people," he noted. "He's really a role model for others to look up to." In 2010, McKee married his wife, Julie Russo, a longtime and passionate educator who through marriage has joined Wolfpack Nation. The two, besides raising their four children — Graham (22), Carly (20), Max (18) and Lily (16) — have helped the success story that is McKee Homes. The company began in 2010, a somewhat daring venture in the heart of the recession, to build affordable homes in Raleigh, Fayetteville, Southern Pines and Wilmington. Over a decade later, it's one of the largest privately held builders in the region. What pleased McKee most was how the company, started with his brother and dedi- cated to their father Joe, who passed away in 2010 from Alzheimer's, has maintained a culture of giving back to the community, notably through the Joe McKee Memorial Alzheimer's Fund to support the Alzheimer's Association and other charities. Julie takes the leading role in that outreach, which includes the Walk to End Al- zheimer's. "The first Walk to End Alzheimer's we sponsored was in Fayetteville back in 2011, and we raised $20,000 that year," she noted. "Since then, we've grown and grown, and over the past 10 years we have raised close to half a million dollars. "The numbers are staggering. I never imagined we could be where we are." Julie also remains an active educator, working with her close friend Valerie Faulkner to develop a program that helps students better understand math and word problems called "Structures of Equality." When the idea of endowing a scholarship was approached, the couple decided to blend their passions: Pat's love of Wolfpack sports and Julie's mission to help support elemen- tary school teachers. The result is the Valerie Faulkner Scholarship, a joint program with the Wolfpack Club and the College of Education at NC State for student-athletes who are majoring in elementary education. "Most of the student-athletes that go into education are not on full scholarship," Julie noted. "A lot of them are taking out student loans and then after graduation, struggle to pay back those loans back on a teacher's salary. It's really an under-served area from a scholarship standpoint." Pat and Julie are thrilled to endow this scholarship in Valerie's name to support future educators and Wolfpack sports. WPC DONOR SPOTLIGHT Pat McKee and Julie Russo From left to right: Graham, Carly, Lily, Max, Julie and Pat. For more information, contact our offices at 919-865-1500 CLUBS THE WITHIN THE WOLFPACK CLUB WOLFPACK CLUB Student WPC Benefits: membership T-shirt, online access to The Wolfpacker, premium student seating for football and basketball games, meetings with coaches and student-athletes, membership decal Junior WPC Benefits: membership T-shirt, membership card, membership decal, official Junior Wolfpack Club gift WOLFPACK CLUB Varsity Club Benefits: exclusive access to Varsity Club room before basketball games, reduced price season tickets for football and men's basketball, free reserved parking with season tickets, invitation to sports reunion(s) Follow The Wolfpack Club!