The Decree
since 1960 “of, by, andfor the Wesleyan community.
May 28, 2021
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
New MBA Graduate Excited about Future Opportunities
Amy Elizabeth Ashmus, one of TJ^W^^BIU^^^^M our l ast semester, we examined ways to be thought I was crazy to make the move, but breathe I’ve alwavs been an over-achiev-
Wesleyan's first MBA graduates, is
ready for her next challenge.
The Leland native is a senior accountant
for Genesys, a California-based software
company. She earned an accounting degree
from the APS program in 2017 at the age of
47. Four years later she finished her MBA.
She was interviewed by the Decree, weeks
before she finished her graduate degree.
Q: Take us back to the year of your
high school graduation. What were your
goals at the time? What did you do in the
years following high school?
A: I graduated from a small private
Christian high school back in 1988. My
dream had been to attend Appalachian State
University. But my friends enrolled in a
small Christian college in Tennessee, so I
decided to follow them. It was very expen
sive, so unfortunately, I had to leave before
I finished my degree. I got married in 1991
and had two children, a son and a daughter
(I'm now a grandmother of two, a 5-year-old
and an 18-month-oldl). Since my spouse was
in the U.S. Air Force, we lived in England,
among other places, and traveled all over
Europe. It was an amazing experience, but I
always dreamt of going back to school.
Q: Provide details on your current job.
A: I’m a contract employee at Genesys.
As a senior accountant, I work on the general
ledger team; we handle accruals, prepaids.
bank reconciliations, and payroll for the U.S.
and Canada. I came on board at the beginning
of a “month-end close” so it was challenging
to learn and meet deadlines at the same time.
But I love being an accountant and I love to
learn, so there was no hesitation in taking this
contract role. I use all the skills and past ex
periences to help me maneuver and I earned
some high praise from my manager.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: Recently I’ve picked up the violin
again. I started playing when I was 9 years
old and stayed with it through college. I
stopped playing the day my grandmother
passed away back in 1996.1 can’t explain
why. I guess she was my biggest supporter,
and it broke my heart when she died. But
something woke up in me last fall and I
decided to begin playing again. I am far from
where I used to be. but the music speaks to
my heart and I hope to use my gift at church.
I also love to read and kayak. I used to love
running, but due to years pounding the pave
ment. I had to hang up my running shoes and
now, for exercise, I walk and ride my bike.
Q: How long had it been since you last
took classes? What was it like to be back in
the classroom that first semester at Wesleyan?
A: I completed my undergraduate studies
29 years after I graduated from high school.
Coming back to college later in life, I ap
preciated my education more. I had a pur
pose and a desire to learn. I earned a BS in
accounting with a 3.84 GPA and became a
member of Sigma Beta Delta.
Q: What was your favorite class in the
undergaduate program?
A: Hands down it was any class taught by
Dr. Wendy Achilles. I took classes from her
both in my undergrad and MBA program.
Students always joke that accounting classes
are so textbook-based and don’t prepare a
student for real-world scenarios. Well, those
students did not have Dr. Achilles. She was
by far my favorite professor. She made sure
everything we learned could be used outside
the textbook. I've always loved numbers and
accounting, but she helped me appreciate the
value I could bring to a company with my
skills. She also taught me never to back down
and never let my fear of the unknown ever stop
me from pursuing a job that interested me.
Another influential faculty member
was Dr. Seodial Deena. During my senior
year (undergrad), I was met with an
unfortunate layoff from Caterpillar. I
ended up having to move to find adequate
work, which forced me into taking two of
my writing classes as independent studies.
I needed a professor willing to work with
me, and Dr. Deena was my guardian angel.
He not only reached out to me during a
mission trip he made to India; he helped
me get over my fear of writing. Without
his kindness and understanding, I would
have been forced to postpone my account
ing degree. He was the answer to a prayer.
Amy Elizabeth Ashmus
Q: Talk about other challenges you faced
in balancing work, family life and school.
A: I attended a college right out of high
school, but due to financial issues, I had to leave.
Once my kids were older, I decided to start back
and no matter where we were stationed. I would
take classes at a local community college. In
2015, life sent me down a path I didn’t see
coming. I knew I needed to finish my degree if
I was going to have job opportunities that would
allow me to take care of myself. I did research
and came across NCWC. I loved that it was a
Christian school and that it offered seated and
online opportunities for adult students. I applied
there and started my journey that year.
It was hard. I would wake up at 3 a.m.
every day to do schoolwork. I was work
ing full-time and my work weeks could
be 40-60 hours. I followed that routine for
two years. I had to move several times
even out of state-to find career opportuni
ties that allowed me to pay the bills. But
NCWC worked with me and if it wasn’t
for the flexibility and the dedication of
my professors, I wouldn’t have graduated
in 2017.1 look back over my educational
journey. It wasn't conventional, but I
never quit. When I walked across that
stage back in December 2017, it was one
of the greatest moments of my life. I tear
up now thinking about it. My degree has
opened doors and allowed me to provide
for myself. It's also shown others that,
regardless of your age and circumstances,
dreams can always be accomplished with
gumption, discipline, and faith.
Q: What’s one change you would make
to the college’s new MBA program?
A: As MBA students, over the last year,
we’ve taken classes that helped us learn
about management styles, accounting
strategies for corporations, and even the
ways to market a new business idea. In
Students Coped with Mental Health
Issues in Quarantine during Pandemic
Mental health was a concern on the Wes
leyan campus during the past 15 months, as
many students dealt with anxiety, relation
ship issues and family illnesses, while
quarantined students struggled with “low
mood” and diminished motivation.
The Decree interviewed Quenetta John
son, Director of Counseling Services, in
early May just before she left the college
to pursue other professional opportunities.
Q: Did you find more students seeking your
counseling services during the past 15 months?
A: Before the pandemic I was constantly
booked and that didn’t change during the
pandemic. I did see new students and a high
percentage talked about changes that they
experienced during the pandemic. But I
wouldn't say that was the bulk of my sessions.
Q: What was the range of pandemic-related
concerns that students were bringing to you?
A: Low mood, anxiety, and interpersonal
struggles were common issues. I had virtual ses
sions with students in isolation/quarantine and
they went through an array of moods-mostly
low moods-due to their confinement to one
room. Many students expressed anxiety about
going into larger settings such as classrooms
and stores. As for the interpersonal problems,
there were roommate/housemate issues and
students dealing with the end of relationships.
Q: Based on your interactions, what has
life been like for students who were already
experiencing feelings of anxiety and depres
sion even before the pandemic?
A: They seemed to be doing better than I had
expected. Students were able to utilize the coping
skills that they’ve been developing over time.
Q: Health Services Director Jessica
Brys-Wilson has pointed out that while some
quarantined students were able to stay current
creative in the workplace. Our main as
signment was to study a corporation, pull
its financials and write a research paper.
Students looked at well-known companies
like Apple and Johnson & Johnson.
But I think I would handle the last
project a little differently. Hear me out.
It would have been great, I think, if we
could have taken all the information we
have been taught and applied it to “real
life’ companies in our communities. Each
student could adopt a small business
struggling with Covid-19 or other financial
problems and helped them with a company
makeover. Think of it as a Gordon Ramsey
Kitchen Nightmare spinoff, but on a
corporate level. We could have adopted
a company at the beginning of our MBA
journey and in each class used our new
skills and applied them to our adopted
company. We would have gotten a chance
to see everything from a business owner’s
perspective, and I can tell you, that type of
MBA program would have not only made
me a better student but also would have
allowed me to give back to my community.
Q: How will the Wesleyan degrees
affect your career trajectory?
A: I’m hoping my MBA will open the
doors to a full-time position with my current
employer. I moved back home to North Caro
lina due to a Covid-19 job loss. Everyone
‘It’s Been a Busy Year,’ But Brys-Wilson,
NC Wesleyan Made It through 2020-21
NC Wesleyan completed its spring semes- to keep our campus community members safe,” guidance has changed repeatedly. Masks are an ex-
ter. While students continued to contract the
Covid-19 virus and many were quarantined
during the term, classes were held, both fall
and spring sports teams played (in some
cases abbreviated) seasons, and the academic
year culminated with graduation ceremonies
May 1 at the Rocky Mount Event Center.
The college reported 102 cases of Covid
among students (95) and staff (7) between
January 21, the first day of classes, and the
last day of the semester. As of April 26, there
was one active case involving a student.
Health Services Director Jessica Brys-
Wilson guided the college through the
pandemic. A licensed physician’s assistant,
Bry-Wilson co-chaired (with Wayne Sears)
the college's Viral Illness Response Team
(VIRT). For her efforts, she was awarded the
inaugural Charles Taylor Leadership Award.
Provost Molly Wyatt lauded Brys-
Wilson for her steady guidance during
the past 15 months.
"Jessica has put in 24/7 service to the college
with their schoolwork, others floundered, fell
behind. Does this align with your observations?
A: I have to agree. Some students had one
of their best years, while others struggled. Some
students found it hard to complete their work
due to low mood or depression, and some were
suffering from grief after losing a loved one.
Q:Asmore and more Americans get vaccinated
and we return to “normal life,” what advice would
you offer to students (and staff and faculty) who
feel anxious about reengaging more with others?
A: Be aware of what triggers your anxiety.
Ask yourself, what is the worst-case scenario
regarding your reengagement? After you’ve
identified the worst possible outcome, then
you ask yourself, what is the likelihood of that
happening? If it does happen, what can you do
to handle the concern? Other helpful coping
techniques include deep breathing and positive
self-talk. I suggest you slowly increase the
number of people that you engage until you
feel comfortable.
I knew that God had amazing plans for me,
and I wanted to be back home close to my
family and friends. Even though Genesys is
located out of state, it’s allowing me to work
remotely. I’m saying prayers that this contract
role will eventually become permanent.
Q: What have you learned about your
self in the last six years?
A: That I can do anything if I set my
mind to it. I don’t back down from chal
lenges. But I have also learned to stop and
Senior Derrick Carter and the Bishops claimed the East Division title by
sweeping a double-header against William Peace May 2 at home. The
17th-ranked Bishops got an at-large bid to play in an NCAA Dill regional
tournament in Marietta, Ohio.
Dr. Wyatt said in a statement. “She had a very
difficult task in managing the nuances of symp
tom monitoring and contact tracing, and follow
ing up on sick or exposed students, faculty, and
staff. The campus was able to function well and
stay open due largely to her leadership and her
pragmatic guidance to individuals facing the
real everyday challenges of Covid-19.”
Brys-Wilson was interviewed by The
Decree in early May.
Q: Will the college require that all students
get a Covid vaccination before returning? It
should be noted that Wesleyan already requires
shots for measles, etc.?
A: This decision has not formally been made.
Other than the flu shot this semester, we only require
the shots that are required by state law. We don’t oth
erwise have any shots required solely by the college.
Q: Has the college been monitoring APS
students for Covid during the past year?
A: Yes, and when we're aware of them, we’ve
included them in the numbers I’ve been report
ing. It’s a bit more complicated because the APS
students don’t live on campus and not all of them
report their condition to me. But I think that I was
made aware of most cases. Faculty was really good
about referring students to me if they knew of an
APS student in quarantine, which was helpful.
Q: Looking back over the past academic
year, is it possible to trace the origins of Covid
outbreaks on campus? What were the trends
that you saw when there were outbreaks?
A: Yes. Very much so. We had zero cases trans
mitted during classes, which I think is fantastic!
Most often cases were traced back to individu
als eating meals together or being a household
contact/roommate to someone who was infected.
We did have a few instances of friend groups hav
ing get-togethers that ended up spreading it to
multiple people, but our spread was largely not
related to students breaking the rules.
Q: When it comes to Covid. what were some
initial concerns of health professionals-or all Ameri
cans, for that matter-that turned out not be true?
A: So much guidance has changed over the
course of the last 15 months. This was a brand-
new virus so. as more data became available, the
breathe. I’ve always been an over-achiev
er, setting the bar ridiculously high. The
last six years showed me that it doesn’t
matter how many budget spreadsheets I
had, life will happen and sometimes tak
ing that “Path less traveled" can lead to
amazing opportunities. I’ve been thinking
about earning my CPA certification. At
my age, many people are ready to slow
down, but not me. I love to learn and as
long as I have the ability and the energy to
do so. I’ll continue reaching for the stars.”
SI photo
ample. At first it was thought that cloth face masks
wouldn’t help prevent Covid. We now see that
they have been hugely beneficial in preventing the
spread. This is how science is supposed to work-
-we give our best guess as to what might happen
and then adjust that as data shows us otherwise. It’s
been interesting to watch it play out in real time.
Q: We have the spring semester data from the
web site. By the end of the academic year, were
there any deaths or Covid-related hospitalizations
among Wesleyan students and staff/faculty?
A: No, not to my knowledge.
Q: What specific steps will the college
take over the summer to prepare for the
return of students in fall?
A: VIRT will continue to meet and to stay in
nearly constant contact. At this moment, we're
monitoring vaccine and infection trends at the
local, state, national, and international levels so we
can make informed decisions before fall semester.
With guidance changing so frequently, were
hesitant to make decisions too early. We’re also
following local and state guidance changes and
making adjustments to our on-campus policies as
appropriate. Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue to
loosen restrictions as the summer progresses.
Q: Think back to the busiest period of the past
year. What was a typical day like for you? You say
your life is "boring,” but we think it might impress
readers to see your level of dedication.
A: On a typical day, I would wake up
around 4:30 and spend about two hours responding
to emails/team messages and managing the various
lists of who was currently infected/in quarantine.
1 would get myself and my three kids ready for
school and then typically spend another hour
responding to messages before heading to work.
Most days, I would get early-morning calls from
diligent college employees with questions before
they came to work. My workdays were spent
seeing sick patients, performing Covid tests, and
doing physicals. I would ran the Campus Clear
report daily and then contact any students who
needed evaluation to give them appointments,
move them into quarantine, notify their faculty,
report positive results to the state, and contact trace.
Between patients and during lunch, I would return
messages from students, parents, faculty, and staff.
After work. I would help my own kids with
their homework, feed them dinner, and pack
their lunches while again answering emails,
texts, and phone calls, some of them in the
middle of the night. In my free time, I would
check for any new data, guidance changes,
or state restriction changes. If a student tested
positive in the evening, I would need to get
them moved into quarantine and complete
contact tracing and then follow up with any
subsequent contacts. Depending on the number
of contacts, this could sometimes take several
hours. I would usually go to bed as soon as I
had everyone safely where they needed to be
and all questions/concerns addressed. It has
been a busy year, but we made it through!