Wake Forest Athletics
Hughlene Burton
1/21/2020 10:13:00 AM | General
As a first generation college student, Dr. Hughlene Burton (’81) is a true believer in the power of education and has made it a point to help provide the support necessary for others to attend Wake Forest University.
In reflecting on your own educational journey, what thoughts cross your mind? Between ups, downs, opportunities and challenges, there are most likely a mixture of emotions that surface. While education is an immensely powerful tool in so many ways, for some, it is a tool that is impossible to obtain without the support of others.
As a first generation college student, Dr. Hughlene Burton ('81) is a true believer in the power of education and has made it a point to help provide the support necessary for others to attend Wake Forest University.
Growing up in Hickory, NC as an excellent student with an interest in athletics, Burton's journey with Wake Forest began as she started looking at colleges to attend. While she was undecided on whether she wanted to pursue a career in law or accounting, Burton sought a university that offered both programs in an effort to keep her options open.
Initially drawn in by the academic reputation, Wake Forest happened to check all of her boxes; academics, athletics, community service and a small, family atmosphere. Once she stepped foot on campus for her initial visit, there was no looking back for Burton, who immediately fell in love with the picturesque views and close-knit environment.
Burton had no trouble acclimating to life at Wake Forest, working hard to excel academically, attending football and basketball games, and getting involved on campus in various capacities. As a member of the S.T.E.P.S. society and a little sister for Sigma Pi fraternity, Burton participated in intramural sports, as well as many community service projects, including one of the first fundraisers for Brian Piccolo.
During her freshman year, after offering assistance to several of the football players she was friends with, Burton became a math tutor for the University, where she was able to help numerous student-athletes throughout the entirety of her undergraduate career.
Burton's time as a tutor piqued her interest in teaching and carried over to her professional life. After graduating from Wake Forest, she put her accounting degree to use, where she was presented with the opportunity to instruct continuing education courses for the company she was employed by.
After nine years in the professional world, Burton came to the realization that teaching was the field she desired to work in. More specifically, she wanted to be a professor. Equipped with the knowledge that she needed to pursue her doctorate, Burton set out to the University of Alabama, where she ultimately earned her PhD.
"I always thought I would go back to graduate school to get a master's degree in accounting," Burton said, "but never thought I would get my PhD."
While it may not have been the initial plan, it has certainly worked out well for Burton, who has now been a professor for 23 years and currently serves as the Director of the Turner School of Accountancy at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Once she returned to North Carolina after earning her PhD, Burton began her involvement with the Deacon Club, and through her contributions, has been helping to provide opportunities and resources to Wake Forest student-athletes ever since.
"It's not just about writing and mailing a check for an annual contribution," Burton shares, "my involvement with the Deacon Club has brought me back to campus more frequently, created relationships and has helped strengthen my overall connection with Wake Forest as an alumna."
In devising a plan for the next several years, Burton, along with her sister, Amy ('92), has recently decided to give back in an even bigger way by creating a scholarship, which will be known as the Hughlene and Amy Burton Athletic Scholarship.
Having been the first member of her family to attend college, Burton truly understands the impact a Wake Forest education can have and wants to help provide that opportunity to others, stating, "It's not just about athletics, it's about the student-athletes and it's a way of supporting those who may not otherwise have the opportunity of an education without our support."
As she sat at January's fifth annual Stewardship Brunch, alongside her sister and current football student-athlete, Matt Colburn, any doubts she may have had about creating a scholarship were erased. "In talking with Matt and hearing his story, along with the remarks of the panelists, I knew I was making the right decision."
Looking ahead, Burton is excited to see all that Wake Forest Athletics will accomplish and looks forward to developing relationships with the future recipients of her scholarship.
"I'm proud to be a Demon Deacon and support our student-athletes who are successful in so many ways, thriving in academics, athletics and community service!"
(Note: This article was originally published in the June 2017 issue of Gold Rush.)
