| Members of the Class of 2005, including Alston Mann pictured in plain clothes, with Meg Miller on the steps of the DKE house after their graduation. |
As the Class of 2005 nears 100% commitments for the DKExcellence: The Four Corners Campaign, class agent Alston Mann ’05 says that even though they are younger alumni, he had no doubt his brothers would step up.
“For me, I knew every single person would step up for Meg because of what she meant to us, then and now,” said Alston. “For others, it may be Eddie Caldwell or the memories they have in the actual structure, but for us it was the person that helped get us through our 4 (…to 5) years.”
This class alone has already pledged $27,000 collectively and they have decided that 100% of their gift will be going to the Meg Miller Fund.
Hunter Powell ’05 echoes Alton’s sentiment and says that Meg was much more than a house mother. She played an important leadership role to all the brothers.
“It was important to me to support the house because of the impact Meg Miller made on me through her magical blend of kindness and tough love,” said Hunter, “and the everlasting admiration I have for her leadership in the middle of the vibrant, but challenging environment that is a fraternity!”
Alston recalls some of his favorite memories from his time in the DKE house include the brothers meeting with Meg in the kitchen to go over the details and happenings of events from the night before. Meg sometimes laughed, and sometimes howled with disapproval, but either way she was there to share in the memories.
“Those are legitimately some of my favorite memories,” recalls Alston, “the low-key talks hearing about the crazy times.”
Hunter says that his time in the DKE house taught him important lessons and helped him grow in many ways. He has made good use of those skills in his current career.
“College is a developmental time. For me, my time at the DKE house helped me learn incredible life lessons, like dealing with adversity and working as a team,” he said. “It honestly gave me the confidence to fight through the rigors of my career in investment banking.”
The Class of 2005 is a relatively small class compared to others. Alston thinks this may have contributed to making them such a close-knit group. Ten years out of college and many are busy building their careers and starting families, but he knew it would be important to all them to step up.
“We’re all in different times in our lives, so not everyone can participate at the same level,” he said, “but what we all understood is that we all wanted to participate at some level.”
Meg continues to be a unifying force at the house. Alston says she’s quick to recount memories with any brother who visits the house.
“When any of us can squeeze in a trip back to Chapel Hill, having Meg bound out of the back for a hug brings all the fun and memories back,” he said, “and she’ll certainly help remind you of them.”
Because of all that she did, and all that she meant to the Class of 2005, they have generously chosen to give back through the Meg Miller Fund.
“Meg was such an important part of our experience while at UNC,” said Alston. “She helped us find common ground and appreciation for what DKE provided us while we were there.”
For more information, or to make a pledge, contact Alston Mann at [email protected].
