The Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (EOSI) seeks to keep NC State’s promise of access by closing the gap between the cost of higher education and what a student can afford. The scholarship launched in February 2020 and recent graduate Brooke Tolley is one of hundreds of NC State students who have made the most of their college experience thanks to EOSI and all of the donors who have supported it.

What brought you to NC State from Burlington, North Carolina? 

I honestly had no idea where I wanted to go to college. I didn’t even know what I wanted to do. But then I toured NC State and fell in love with the people and the campus. It was somewhere I could feel at home.

You started out in exploratory studies. What led you to Poole College of Management?

In exploratory studies, they tell you to see where your interests lie and take an intro class of a few different majors you think you might want to [pursue]. I took Management Innovation Entrepreneurship 201: Introduction to Business and really liked it. People said it was such a challenging course, but I was intrigued by it and did well on it, which made me really want to further explore the business route.

Were you involved in any campus organizations?

I was a Poole Peer Leader where I mentored first-year business students. I was also a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and the International Business Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma.

Is there anything that you’ve learned during your time at NC State that you feel has shaped you moving forward?

I would say that the biggest thing I’ve learned is to get comfortable putting yourself in new situations that you might be scared of.

Can you identify an experience at NC State that made the biggest impact on you?

Poole Peer Leaders was probably one of the best things I did throughout college because it connected me with so many people. I’ve never been one to speak out in front of a group, but being a mentor for first-years and teaching them what I wish I would have known going into college was a really rewarding opportunity.

Was there anything that surprised you about NC State?

There’s so many opportunities. There’s so much available to you that it could get overwhelming at times. You don’t really know where to start, or which is going to be the best for you to take advantage of, or if you want to study abroad, or if you want to join these orgs. Getting out on campus helps you learn about your options and that makes it less overwhelming. 

How has your scholarship impacted your experience at NC State?

The fact that families like the Cromartie family are willing to give to students like me who want to push themselves and continue to grow and learn has been really helpful and I’m extremely grateful.

What’s next for you after graduation?

I’ll be enrolling in NC State’s master’s of accounting program in the fall and studying for the certified public accountant (CPA) exam while taking my courses. After I receive my master’s, I plan to take the exam and become a CPA.