Leadership Opportunities

Smedes York remembers military service at NC State and reflects on the availability of leadership opportunities during his time at NC State.

Interview on 2012-03-15 00:00:00 -0400

Transcript

00:00:00.000 NC State, I've never been, as I said earlier, as scheduled,

00:00:05.666 and a lot of leadership opportunities at NC State.

00:00:09.676 I was president of the fraternity; as I mentioned, battalion commander.

00:00:13.946 When you stand in front of a company

00:00:19.525 and call them to attention and give some commands, I mean that's-. Try that some time.

00:00:24.510 [I don't think anyone's going to let me do that.]

00:00:28.844 "Company, ten hut!" you know. Just to even say it today actually brings back memories.

00:00:34.296 But NC State was terrific in terms of

00:00:38.569 leadership, in terms of time management and scheduling,

00:00:43.159 and in terms of comrades and friends,

00:00:48.359 you know, in terms of the importance of long time association and friendships,

00:00:54.382 and of course I learned a lot,

00:00:58.180 a lot of math, surveying.

00:01:00.826 When I got to Korea as the company commander was-. I was the operations officer initially, I mean I wasn't required

00:01:07.552 to do the surveying but just because I could operate the transit level and all that,

00:01:13.678 it was good to get out there and do a lot of that, and the troops would be sort of semi-impressed, you might way.

00:01:20.713 So NC State, those four years were the basis for everything I've done since.