�۶�ֱ�� Alumnus felt at home on the campus of �۶�ֱ�� University

“I built good relationships with many professors. Mischia Taylor was my marketing teacher and advisor. She was always available to answer my questions and helped me learn the knowledge I needed.”

With his outgoing and friendly personality, Dewayne Wray ’16 felt welcome on �۶�ֱ�� University’s campus. “I was first introduced to �۶�ֱ�� by my grandmother and a few members of my church who are all alumni,” explained Wray, who lives in Green Creek, N.C. “I chose to attend �۶�ֱ��, because it immediately felt like home and like a place where I could really make an impact.”

Recruited to play football, Wray also joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) to have opportunities to share his faith. He was also active in the Marketing Club, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Student Alumni Association.

“It was a true blessing to be in FCA and a part of other events, where I was able to speak and let people know about Christ,” Wray observed. “You never know who needs to hear someone’s story to help move them in a positive way towards Christ.”

Wray decided to major in marketing, because he likes working with people and developing creative strategies. “Marketing is a really fun subject, because it is about problem solving and learning different ways to produce, market, and sell products,” he shared. “Also, building relationships is the biggest part of marketing.”

When Wray graduated, he was offered a full-time job with QuikTrip, where he had worked seasonally since 2014. “I’m an Initial Trainer for the company, so what I like about my job is meeting new people all the time and training new managers,” he described. “Typically, I train a person for about two weeks and travel anywhere from Gaffney (S.C.) to Anderson (S.C.)”

His classes at �۶�ֱ�� taught him how to manage his various responsibilities to meet deadlines. His professors—both in the Godbold College of Business and in other academic areas—gave him a solid foundation to begin his career. “I built good relationships with many professors,” he reflected. “Mischia Taylor was my marketing teacher and advisor. She was always available to answer my questions and helped me learn the knowledge I needed.”

He concluded, “I was able to gain true friendships that will last the rest of my life. From the friends you meet to the professors who really want to help you succeed, �۶�ֱ�� is a great place to thrive.”

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“The �۶�ֱ�� professors are like, ‘I want to partner with you, not intimidate you,’ and they want to help you graduate. You learn a lot more with that approach.”

Philip Slater of Winston-Salem, N.C., a student in the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program at �۶�ֱ�� University and a GWU alumnus, experienced success after just one semester in the program. He had his first paper published in an academic journal.

“I’m thrilled,” Slater shared. “Being a brand-new doctoral student, I wasn’t thinking it would get published.”

He wrote the paper for Dr. Anthony Negbenebor’s International Business class. Part of the assignment was to submit it to a journal for publication. His paper examined why the framework for accounting used around the world hasn’t converged with the United States standard. Slater sent it to the “European Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance Research,” and the editors accepted it with minor revisions.

His professors gave him the tools that led to his success. “In my classes, research methods—both quantitative and qualitative were emphasized—as this is foundational to any doctoral-level course,” Slater observed. “I was able to utilize these newly-acquired research skills to locate a large amount of empirical research to support the hypotheses presented in my paper.”

Slater, a 2013 graduate of the GWU Master of Accountancy program, runs a consulting firm. He has been an adjunct instructor at �۶�ֱ�� since 2012. He also teaches and is the department head of Accounting and Finance at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem.

Because of his experience with GWU, he knew the DBA program would be top-notch. He’s found the classes to be structured with working professionals in mind. “I really felt like the instructors here actually cared about me,” Slater affirmed. “The �۶�ֱ�� professors are like, ‘I want to partner with you, not intimidate you,’ and they want to help you graduate. You learn a lot more with that approach.”

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�۶�ֱ�� Alumnus leads Charlotte (N.C.) Business Journal

“The smaller classes and hands-on learning approach is something that you cannot put a value on. My classes gave me the tools I needed to succeed in the business world.”

T.J. McCullough, a 2007 alumnus of �۶�ֱ�� University, is market president and publisher of the Charlotte (N.C.) Business Journal (CBJ). He received a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing and played on the Runnin’ Bulldogs men’s basketball team.

A native of Chipley, Fla., McCullough enjoyed the camaraderie of his GWU teammates and the close-knit campus community. “The smaller classes and hands-on learning approach is something that you cannot put a value on,” he observed. “My classes gave me the tools I needed to succeed in the business world.”

He chose his major because of his keen interest in how businesses operate. “I knew getting a degree in this field would help me with operating my own company someday, and this was one of the key steps I needed to take to achieve this goal,” he shared.

In 2008, he accepted a job with American City Business Journals (ACBJ) as a circulation marketing representative at the Sports Business Journal. He was promoted to circulation sales representative in 2010 and then account sales manager. He joined CBJ in December 2013 as an advertising account executive and was later promoted to advertising director.

McCullough is proud to lead and work with the CBJ team. “The news never sleeps so implementing ways to deliver this news and developing new revenue streams for advertisers is a passion of mine,” he affirmed. “At the end of the day, I need to ensure that we are in sync with our overall editorial mission and are delivering timely local business news to the Charlotte region.”

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