Get to know our 2024 incoming class

Following is an excerpt of an article originally published in NC State News.

Eleven colleges. More than 100 undergraduate majors and 200 graduate degree programs. 10,647 new students embarking on their NC State adventure. One incoming class of 2024.

It’s easy to be excited by the numbers at NC State. In August — for the fifth consecutive year — we welcomed our largest class of students to our campus in Raleigh and our online programs.

We sat down with members of our 2024 incoming class to find out what brought them here, what they’re excited about and what they think you should know about NC State.

Henry McDevitt: Balancing Goals and Exploration

• Major: Electrical engineering
• Hometown: Camden, Maine
• NC State Tip for New Students: “There’s a lot of free ice cream.”

Park Scholar Henry McDevitt can’t wait to attend his first NC State football game. He also has a solid game plan for making the most of college. For one, he’s looking to stretch his wings and see the world through a study abroad program in Kenya related to his major in electrical engineering.

McDevitt is excited to explore how his major might connect with his other passions. In his hometown of Camden, Maine, where mountains border the ocean, he developed a love for running and hiking — and a respect for the environment. Through a STEM-focused summer program, McDevitt created an apparatus to attach a thermal camera to a drone and measure wastewater sources in his coastal town’s harbor. He wants to continue exploring an interdisciplinary path that balances electrical engineering with environmentalism.

McDevitt’s goal is to find more of that balance over the next four years at NC State, juggling academics and a social life. He wants to try different student clubs and see what piques his interest. “There is seriously something for every person,” McDevitt said about the numerous ways to get involved at NC State. 

McDevitt likes to remind himself — and anyone else trying to do it all: “In school, you don’t have to be perfect at everything. Go out, have fun with friends, and make the memories that you want to make, because you can do that, also.”

Dakota Coburn: Scholars Building Community

• Major: Textile engineering, product engineering concentration
• Hometown: Winterville, North Carolina
• NC State Tip for New Students: “Always carry a water bottle — it’s a big campus, and my water bottle has saved me during the hot weather.”

It’s a big deal for students to get into programs like the Goodnight Scholars or Textile Pioneer Scholars. So, you can imagine that when Dakota Coburn was accepted into both, it was a very big deal. She worked hard to get these scholarships, even going so far as to jet out during a midday break at a First Robotics competition in Durham for one of her interviews. 

As a textile engineering major and double-scholar, Coburn has her hands full. But she couldn’t be more excited about it. She knew textile engineering was the path for her when a representative from Wilson College of Textiles came to her high school the fall of her senior year — she was immediately hooked, and her scholarships sealed her Wolfpack fate.

These programs don’t only help Coburn financially — they also provide a reliable community for her as she settles into a new routine here at NC State. Meeting new people has been one of Coburn’s favorite parts of the university so far, and she’s looking forward to getting involved in more student activities like intramural soccer. 

“I’m just happy to be here,” Coburn said. “I love everyone I’ve met, and I can already tell that my time here is going to go by fast.”