Meredith Gaskill ’24 reflects on her four years in the Park Program

Meredith Gaskill is a member of the Class of 2024 and graduated from the Wilson College of Textiles with a major in Fashion and Textile Management. She is from Salisbury, NC.

While in undergrad, Meredith was a buying intern with Macy’s Merchandising Group in New York and had a summer internship with ASHLEYlauren. In the fall of 2023, the Gaskill family was named NC State’s Family of the Year during the 2023 Parents and Families Weekend! Upon graduation, she will be interning with Cisco as a marketing specialist intern and then will be continuing her education at NC State in the fall pursuing her Master’s of Science in Textiles. Meredith reflected on her time at NC State and in the Park Scholarships program. 

When I was coming to NC State, I was scared I wouldn’t find a community or have an instant home away from home. With the Park Scholarships program, those fears soon disseminated! I instantly had a loving and welcoming community where I bonded with friends from different backgrounds and life experiences thus far, but bonded from the similar lived experiences we were sharing through coming to college in the years of the pandemic.

We had many enriching experiences, including Learning Labs and our Park courses, but Senior Retreat was a very special time where we could reconnect and reflect on the past four years together. I have learned so much from being a member of the Park community, learning integrity from my Park peers, mentors, and alumni, learning leadership skills from learning labs and coursework, and learning how to be a servant-leader through experiences on NC State’s campus.

Being in the Park program has truly shaped my college experience and given me a family and a home in Raleigh and in the world. I am forever grateful for the program and all of the opportunities it afforded me, and I look forward to giving back to the future community.