Adam Compton leaves legacy after five and half years at University

Jane Moon

Campus and Capital Editor

It’s been a common site for the past five and a half years for Adam Compton, a senior in agricultural business management, to beelining from one administrative buildings to student centers, always looking like he’s on a mission. And this is because he always is

Compton, who has been a part of 15 organizations at the University, just finished up his position of Homecoming Director, is president of Delta Upsilon, and is an alumni ambassador, will finally graduate this month after completing his fifth semester as a senior.

 Compton said the experience of working for so many different organizations was even more important to him as what he has learned in the classroom. 

“I really feel like I’ve learned as much outside of the classroom as inside of classroom,” Compton said.

And the time he spent outside of the classroom certainly reflected his work ethic personality and his willingness to take on any task.

 ”He’s dedicated and hard working, if he commits to something, he gets it done … I remember during the Ram Roast, Adam was probably one of people who got that at the level it’s at now, someone who really gets into that school spirit stuff. I remember seeing him at 2 or 3 a.m. with the pig cooker in a camo hat … He was probably one of the work horses of the [Student Government] office. Whatever needed to be done, it was done,” Will Quick, 2006-2007 student body president, said.

Compton, ran for student body president the year after Quick, and ended up being the first runner up.

“It was definitely one of coolest things I’ve done in my college career, because I had to take time and focus on my peers, meet people, talk to students and share concerns and work together on things,” Compton said.

Quick, a 2009 graduate student alumnus, said he admired Compton’s hard work and his performance when Compton was his treasurer, and that he would have been comfortable with the idea that he could have been his predecessor.

 ”I definitely thought he would have done a good job. There was a good pull of candidates that year. Adam could have done as good a job as Bobby [Mills] or Kate [Luckadoo,]” Quick, a first year law school student at UNC-Chapel Hill, said.

Dawkins said as long as he has known Compton, he had put his work before everything else and showed dedication

“My favorite memory of Adam Compton was on election day 2007, it was voting day for student body president, but he was hard at work in the Student Government treasurer office processing appropriations stuff and the budget. He was in his office doing work as opposed to getting out there. This shows a lot of character — that’s rare for someone to act selflessly at such a crucial moment,” Dawkins said.

Even though Compton did not win the position of student body president, he said he did not regret his decision to run because he ended up getting the position of senior class president for 2007-2008 and enjoyed of the valuable experiences he gained.

“There’s no doubt in mind I would run for student body president again just because of what opportunity of running presents you with. Everybody you meet while running, it’s cool to have students come up to you and talk to you about things, say what’s bothering them or send me an e-mail asking for help,” Compton said.

Though Compton has been involved in a number of important decisions, such as extending tailgating hours, creating the Wolfprowl bus lines, and changing University policies, he did not start his college career looking to make a difference.

“Coming into N.C. State, I really thought the campus was too big. I thought wasn’t able to get involved … My freshman year I was not involved in anything. I went to class, and I was just an engineering student,” Compton said. “Then my sophomore year, I joined a fraternity, ran for Student Senate, and was on the Service Raleigh Committee … I had seen enough of the campus so know what I wanted to change. Midway through my freshman year, I didn’t like N.C. State. I had applications to transfer to other universities, but I figured I needed to get involved in some ways. I wanted to make my college experience matter, because it’s something more than just textbooks and tests,” Compton said.

Even when Compton was not directly involved in an organization, he was willing to give advice to better the University.

“Adam’s biggest influence on me was when I was student body president. I would get e-mails every three days about some issue Adam thought was important at the University, and he would recommend solutions or asked I look into it. And I’m sure he’s done that for countless student leaders, which shows he cares,” Jay Dawkins, 2008-2009 student body president, said. 

Compton also matured throughout his college career by leaving his UNC-loving roots behind and becoming a Wolfpack fan.

“I grew up in household with six generations before me that went to Carolina. I did not miss a Carolina basketball game growing up. I grew up on Carolina. I got into Carolina, and turned them down because I wanted to be engineer. And now I am a diehard N.C. State fan. I love this University, love everything sit stands for,” Compton said.

Compton said his involvement in student organizations made him fall in love with the University, and the experience he has gained here will help him when he graduates and seeks a job involving agriculture policy.

“The experience I’ve gained at N.C. State will help me, because it won’t be my GPA that gets me a job … I’ve managed a $200,000 budget, ran a fraternity that is basically a small corporation. I’ve learned how to look at things and figure out what needs to change,” Compton said.

Compton’s extensive college career will come to an end Dec. 17 when he walks across the stage at the RBC Center, and his extensive resume won’t be the only thing that sets him apart from other graduates at graduation. 

“I will be wearing a red gown at graduation. We asked why people get to wear that horrible shade of blue at Carolina, so why shouldn’t we wear the color we wear to class everyday … Then at a chancellor’s liaison meeting, people said it looks like my heart crashed when [Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom] Stafford and [Chancellor Jim] Woodward said we would have red gowns for May graduates.  So I will be the only person wearing a red gown this graduation, and they will point out during the ceremony that in May that’s what all students will be wearing.

Dawkins said he is looking forward to pointing out Compton at December’s graduation and is excited about the new changes he helped create.

“Look for loud guy in red gown at graduation, that’s Adam Compton!” Dawkins, a senior in civil engineering, said.