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Congratulations to the Gaskill Family, NC State’s 2023 Family of the Year!

Meredith Gaskill (center) and her family stand on the field in Carter Finley Stadium with both endzones visible behind them. Meredith holds a plaque and each of them have their "wolves up."

This story was originally published by Parents and Families Services.

Meredith Gaskill, a senior in the Wilson College of Textiles from Salisbury, North Carolina, along with her parents Scott and Karen and her two older sisters Jessica and Lauren and their families, were named NC State’s Family of the Year during the 2023 Parents and Families Weekend.

NC State’s Family of the Year has been a time-honored tradition for over twenty years. Students are invited to nominate their families annually for this award. Award winners are presented at Parents and Families Weekend each fall.

Meredith Gaskill and her family stand in front of a red sign that reads "Wolfpack."

As a Park and Centennial Scholar, Meredith submitted an award-winning nomination highlighting the remarkable support of her Wolfpack Family. Her family has championed her success since the beginning, with her sisters staying nearby to be a pillar of support and her family throwing her an NC State “signing” party while quarantining together in 2020. 

“My parents had a unique and beautiful way of bringing our family together to support and uplift each other,” Meredith said. With this support, she continued to thrive even in unusual and sometimes challenging circumstances. 

Meredith and her family stand in a courtyard with their "wolves up."

“My family supported and encouraged me relentlessly.  It is evident I plan on being a part of the Wolfpack forever, and so does my family! From moving me in and out of dorms to football games to scholarship dinners to continuously driving to Raleigh for any occasion, my family is a Wolfpack Family through and through. They have supported me through every experience I have had at NC State, and that’s what makes them The Family of the Year! They have cheered me on, as well as NC State, and nothing makes me happier than getting to share these memories with my family…”
 
As they stood together on the field at Friday night’s football game, receiving the award for Family of the Year from Chancellor Woodson, her father’s old family mantra, “The Gaskill Family travels as a Pack,” took on a more significant meaning in relation to her future. This moment was the perfect example of the family traveling along one of the most meaningful and culminating journeys, to the right place, together. 

A row of people (including Meredith Gaskill and her family) stand on the endzone. Randy Woodson talks to Meredith and her parents.