{"id":9893,"date":"2017-09-22T12:59:05","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T16:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=9893"},"modified":"2017-09-22T12:59:05","modified_gmt":"2017-09-22T16:59:05","slug":"kent-hester-retires-leaves-legacy-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2017\/09\/kent-hester-retires-leaves-legacy-service\/","title":{"rendered":"As Kent Hester Retires, He Leaves a Legacy of Service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s not surprising that anyone who\u2019s been associated with NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles<\/a> over the last three decades knows Kent Hester, director of Student and Career Services. He is ubiquitous. From organizing career fairs (nearly 30 during his tenure) and service projects to managing scholarship weekends. He\u2019s led countless interview workshops, welcomed thousands of prospective students and their families to campus, visited hundreds of high schools in North Carolina and beyond, and taken students on trips to visit companies and cheer on the Pack at Clemson. More importantly, for nearly 30 years he\u2019s been available to Wilson College of Textiles students, student groups and alumni providing guidance, leadership and career support.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what might be surprising – given the sheer number of people he\u2019s interacted with during that time –  is the fact that he remembers most of those students, alums and industry partners. He knows what high school they went to, what scholarships they received, what internships they completed, which clubs they were members of and what companies they are working at today. He attends their weddings (eight to 10 a year) and connects with them at alumni events like the Textile Alumni Tailgate, which he founded in 1991.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Hester readies to retire at the end of September, his legacy surely will be those connections and his commitment to making the Wilson College of Textiles a home for so many.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not an event I\u2019ve organized that I\u2019m most proud of. It\u2019s the relationships that I have built with companies, but, more importantly, with students. That was the most important take away,\u201d he said. \u201cI was able to build those because I was accessible and I was here. It was those conversations and shared experiences outside of the classroom that built friendships. I hope that I have been a <\/span>reliable g<\/span>o-to for students, for alumni and that\u2019s what most people remember.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the relationships matter more to him than the events he\u2019s executed, many of those events remain points of pride for Hester. Joyful memories include the 2015 career fair when company participation topped 74 after years of hovering <\/span>between<\/span> 30 to 40. He also looks back fondly on being a part of the group that helped launch the Centennial Scholarship program, which has brought so many to the College who would go on to become industry leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kent\u2019s commitment to the Wilson College of Textiles and NC State started when he was a student in what was then the Textile Management program. While a student, he was a member of both the Kappa Tau Beta leadership fraternity and Phi Psi professional textile fraternity as well as the Tompkins Textile Student Council and the American Association of Textile Technology. As a college senior, Kent served as president of the NC State senior class, and then later as a high school recruiter for the Wilson College of Textiles, a role he had a unique appreciation for given that it was a Textiles\u2019 recruiter\u2019s third trip to his Gaston County high school that convinced him to change his intended major from civil engineering to Textile Management.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He briefly worked as a human resources management trainee for Burlington Industries following graduation. But it wasn\u2019t long before he returned to the College as the assistant director of Student Services and director of the newly formed Textile Alumni Society. Not long after, he was named associate director of Student Services, and in 2002 he was promoted to his current position.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While working at a university was never on his radar, a career built around helping people was.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWas I made for this job? Maybe. Or maybe the job helped make me into who I am. I was going into human resources. So that desire to work with people was already there,\u201d he said. \u201cI truly care about students\u2019 well being as much as their academic and professional success. I believe every person has value whether they\u2019re carrying a  2.0 or a 4.0.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s next for this soon-to-be retiree who has rarely left work before 8 p.m. when classes are in session and who has only taken a day and half of sick time in almost 30 years? To begin, he\u2019s headed home to Gaston County to become \u201cone of the oldest boomerang kids\u201d and spend time with his close-knit family.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo start with I am going to do absolutely nothing. Having nights and weekends will be a change,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not too late for a fall garden. There are several state and national parks I have always wanted to go to. There are some fish I haven\u2019t caught yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And folks may just spot him at NC State home football games since he\u2019ll remain a season ticket holder. His pride in being a member of the Pack is <\/span>something<\/span> that will never waver. Nor will his hope for the community he leaves behind.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy wish for the students of the college is to have the same good experience that I had with success beyond college, whatever that means for them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I thank everyone for being a part of my career. Everyone I interacted with, everyone who helped me along the way, they all helped to shape this time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not surprising that anyone who\u2019s been associated with NC State's Wilson College of Textiles<\/a> over the last three decades knows Kent Hester, director of Student and Career Services. He is ubiquitous. From organizing career fairs (nearly 30 during his tenure) and service projects to managing scholarship weekends. He\u2019s led countless interview workshops, welcomed thousands of prospective students and their families to campus, visited hundreds of high schools in North Carolina and beyond, and taken students on trips to visit companies and cheer on the Pack at Clemson. More importantly, for nearly 30 years he\u2019s been available to Wilson College of Textiles students, student groups and alumni providing guidance, leadership and career support.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what might be surprising - given the sheer number of people he\u2019s interacted with during that time -  is the fact that he remembers most of those students, alums and industry partners. He knows what high school they went to, what scholarships they received, what internships they completed, which clubs they were members of and what companies they are working at today. He attends their weddings (eight to 10 a year) and connects with them at alumni events like the Textile Alumni Tailgate, which he founded in 1991.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Hester readies to retire at the end of September, his legacy surely will be those connections and his commitment to making the Wilson College of Textiles a home for so many.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not an event I\u2019ve organized that I\u2019m most proud of. It\u2019s the relationships that I have built with companies, but, more importantly, with students. That was the most important take away,\u201d he said. \u201cI was able to build those because I was accessible and I was here. It was those conversations and shared experiences outside of the classroom that built friendships. I hope that I have been a <\/span>reliable g<\/span>o-to for students, for alumni and that\u2019s what most people remember.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the relationships matter more to him than the events he\u2019s executed, many of those events remain points of pride for Hester. Joyful memories include the 2015 career fair when company participation topped 74 after years of hovering <\/span>between<\/span> 30 to 40. He also looks back fondly on being a part of the group that helped launch the Centennial Scholarship program, which has brought so many to the College who would go on to become industry leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kent\u2019s commitment to the Wilson College of Textiles and NC State started when he was a student in what was then the Textile Management program. While a student, he was a member of both the Kappa Tau Beta leadership fraternity and Phi Psi professional textile fraternity as well as the Tompkins Textile Student Council and the American Association of Textile Technology. As a college senior, Kent served as president of the NC State senior class, and then later as a high school recruiter for the Wilson College of Textiles, a role he had a unique appreciation for given that it was a Textiles\u2019 recruiter\u2019s third trip to his Gaston County high school that convinced him to change his intended major from civil engineering to Textile Management.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He briefly worked as a human resources management trainee for Burlington Industries following graduation. But it wasn\u2019t long before he returned to the College as the assistant director of Student Services and director of the newly formed Textile Alumni Society. Not long after, he was named associate director of Student Services, and in 2002 he was promoted to his current position.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While working at a university was never on his radar, a career built around helping people was.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWas I made for this job? Maybe. Or maybe the job helped make me into who I am. I was going into human resources. So that desire to work with people was already there,\u201d he said. \u201cI truly care about students\u2019 well being as much as their academic and professional success. I believe every person has value whether they\u2019re carrying a  2.0 or a 4.0.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s next for this soon-to-be retiree who has rarely left work before 8 p.m. when classes are in session and who has only taken a day and half of sick time in almost 30 years? To begin, he\u2019s headed home to Gaston County to become \u201cone of the oldest boomerang kids\u201d and spend time with his close-knit family.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo start with I am going to do absolutely nothing. Having nights and weekends will be a change,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not too late for a fall garden. There are several state and national parks I have always wanted to go to. There are some fish I haven\u2019t caught yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And folks may just spot him at NC State home football games since he\u2019ll remain a season ticket holder. His pride in being a member of the Pack is <\/span>something<\/span> that will never waver. Nor will his hope for the community he leaves behind.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy wish for the students of the college is to have the same good experience that I had with success beyond college, whatever that means for them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I thank everyone for being a part of my career. Everyone I interacted with, everyone who helped me along the way, they all helped to shape this time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After three decades, Kent Hester is retiring at the end of September. The alum and director of Student and Career Services reflects on his time at the College of Textiles and the experiences that shaped his career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":24957,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":2131}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[490],"tags":[487,784,787],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"As Kent Hester Retires, He Leaves a Legacy of Service - Wilson College of Textiles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2017\/09\/kent-hester-retires-leaves-legacy-service\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"As Kent Hester Retires, He Leaves a Legacy of Service - Wilson College of Textiles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After three decades, Kent Hester is retiring at the end of September. 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