On graduation day in 2019, North Carolina State University alumna Manon MacAllister made a promise to herself: She would one day give back to the College of Natural Resources program that had shaped her. 

That dream became reality recently when she learned the MacAllister Paper Science and Engineering Scholarship had been approved. Overjoyed, she jumped up at her kitchen table, threw her hands in the air and immediately texted her university friends. 

“I had been working toward this for so long, and finally, it happened,” MacAllister said. 

As a student, MacAllister received scholarships from the James A. Buzzard, Ernie and Beverly Alexander, and Bowater NCSU Alumni endowments, and she remains grateful for the mentorship provided by those who supported her.

In fact, she credits much of her success to that guidance. 

“The best part of my scholarships was the mentorship from Jim Buzzard and Ernie Alexander. They were mentors more than funders,” MacAllister said. “It’s one of the things that make the paper science program unique: collaboration between students and funders.”

Inspired by this support, she eagerly embraced the opportunity to create her own scholarship and mentor students in turn. “I can’t endow a scholarship like Jim and Ernie did, but when I learned I could still provide some sort of scholarship and be a mentor, I jumped at the chance.” 

Now, the MacAllister Paper Science and Engineering Scholarship will provide need-based support to undergraduate students pursuing a degree in paper science and engineering, continuing the legacy of mentorship and guidance that inspired MacAllister herself.

Where Gratitude Meets Opportunity

MacAllister has always felt a strong sense of gratitude for her time in the paper science and engineering program and a deep commitment to give back.

The program became more than just a place of study. It was her community, her network and the foundation of her career. “I always felt so lucky to get so much, and the least I can do is return the favor in whatever way I can,” she said.

Her path to the program was not planned. MacAllister originally enrolled at NC State intending to become a chemical engineer, but a seminar with Med Byrd, the paper science and engineering program’s undergraduate coordinator, sparked a new passion. 

Byrd’s enthusiasm for paper science and engineering opened the door to a field that MacAllister would come to exemplify. “I’d never heard of paper science and engineering, yet here was this man really hyping it up. I thought, ‘Hey, this sounds really, really cool,’” she said.

MacAllister decided to take an introductory class with Byrd to learn more, and it quickly won her over. She added paper science and engineering alongside her chemical engineering degree and never looked back.

Since graduating, MacAllister has had no regrets. She worked at International Paper in South Carolina and now is a senior reliability engineer at Clearwater Paper Corporation in Lewiston, Idaho. 

“It’s been a really good career and fits my personality very well. It’s been challenging in a good way. There’s a lot of space for growth with the industry and a lot of opportunities. It allows me not to be tied to a desk much. It’s a good hands-on type of job,” she said. 

MacAllister hopes her scholarship fund will help others find a fulfilling career.

“If someone is interested in our industry, I want them to have the opportunity to be a part of NC State’s paper science and engineering program. The barriers to college entry keep getting higher, and I want to help students get in the door,” she said.

Before speaking with Jonathan Hernández, assistant director of philanthropy, and Jennifer Piercy, assistant dean of philanthropy, MacAllister thought she would need to fund an endowment to create a scholarship.

“They showed me other options that were a better fit for people in my position. I work with the scholarship committee and am part of the Pulp and Paper Advisory Board, so I’ll definitely be talking more about how to get the word out to alumni,” she said.

This article was written by Cindy Dashnaw Jackson for the College of Natural Resources.