A Family Legacy: The Pappaylious' Deep Ties to Wake Forest and Commitment to Education
1/23/2025 10:00:00 AM | Football
From cherished game-day memories to a $2 million scholarship endowment, George and Roberta Pappayliou continue to make a lasting impact on Wake Forest Athletics and its student-athletes.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University and Wake Forest football is a family affair for George and Roberta Pappayliou. Their daughter graduated from Wake Forest back in 2012 before attending medical school and becoming a general surgeon based in Greensboro. Their two nephews also went to Wake Forest, with one of them walking onto the football team before receiving his MBA and a master's degree in management, while the other one attended Wake Law School. Even their son, who did not attend Wake, has grown into an avid fan of the Deacs.
Those family connections have brought about a lot of fond memories for George and Roberta, including some of their favorite memories with the Demon Deacon football team. The Pappaylious memorialized these moments and cemented a forever connection with Wake Forest Football by making a $2 million gift to the program. This contribution will create a new scholarship for the program, forever endowing the chance for a student to come to Wake Forest and represent the school on the football field while earning a Wake Forest education.
The Pappayliou family have had a long history with the university as a whole and Wake Forest Athletics, joining the Moricle Society in 2019 and having been a part of the International Leadership Circle since its inception during the 2020-21 academic year. However, George and Roberta really started their relationship nearly a decade before that when Katie entered her freshman year in 2008.
"It just flowed naturally from the fact that our daughter was there," said George Pappayliou. "At the time, we were living in Ohio, so we had to come down and visit her and catch some of the football games. That was an opportunity to see her and enjoy the football environment. When she started in 2008, I think Wake was ranked to start the season, which doesn't happen often. The season didn't work out that well, but we enjoyed the experience and we became progressively more involved as time went on."
Following that first season, George and Roberta bumped up their participation with Wake Forest Athletics, becoming members of the Deacon Club within a year. Over time, the Pappaylious began focusing heavily on giving back to Wake Forest and helping to provide a great education for Demon Deacon student-athletes on campus, something that George's father instilled in him from a very young age.
"My father grew up in the depression, and his father was an immigrant to the United States," said George. "I'm not sure my father was paying attention, but what my grandfather told him is that you should go to college and that your education is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you. It's the one thing that you will always have. That's something that I took to heart. In terms of the value of education and the emphasis to which Wake Forest puts on education as a selling point to student-athletes, that's something that is really important to us."
George and Roberta have also been a pivotal part in helping Wake Forest football achieve some of their greatest seasons in program history under the leadership of former head coach Dave Clawson, primarily through helping provide transportation to and from recruitment trips. Through these trips, George and Roberta have been able to build a relationship with Clawson.
"It's pretty much a unique opportunity when Dave is a captive sitting next to you in an airplane for two to three hours. I've had an opportunity to speak to him at a greater length and a greater depth than most people, and my opinion of him is as high as it possibly could be. It's the sort of thing where he's been very open and forthcoming while we've been together. He's always been pleasant and approachable whenever we get the chance to see and talk with him. All of the things that he preaches about what makes Wake Forest special to recruits, such as the size of the university, the closeness to the community, and the emphasis on education, really resonates with us. Dave has been a great friend and it's been great to build that relationship with him."
"It's been a privilege to get to know George and Roberta over the years," Dave Clawson said. "Their passion for Wake Forest and their dedication to the football program is truly inspiring. "The Pappaylious understand the importance of providing opportunities for student-athletes to excel both on and off the field. Their scholarship will have a transformative impact on the lives of players for now and in the generations to come."
Now, in their 16th year as a Deacon Club member and a proud supporter of Wake Forest Athletics, George and Roberta Pappayliou decided to give back to Wake Forest football team by providing a $2 million scholarship to a football student-athlete beginning this summer to better help them achieve a great education at Wake Forest, something that George put extra emphasis on when deciding to make this gift.
"That's one of the reasons that we wanted our gift to involve a scholarship, as opposed to putting the money to other use within the athletic department. It's really important because most college athletes and certainly most college athletes at Wake Forest, in the words of the old NCAA commercial, are going to go pro in something other than sports. The opportunity to get an education that will be useful to them may not be appreciated when they're 23, but when they're 30, it will be very important to them."
The decision for George and Roberta to endow their scholarship came a couple of years ago during a fundraising event during the ACC Basketball Tournament in Brooklyn.
"There was an event during the ACC tournament when it was in Brooklyn where Coach Clawson and Deacon Club member Rhona Sherrill spoke on a panel. During that conversation, she extolled all of that and I think that resonated with my wife. When we had the opportunity to endow a scholarship, I thought that would be a fun thing and that it would be great to form a relationship with these young men."
"Rhona made a great point that remembering Wake Forest in your will probably isn't going to provide you with a lot of satisfaction during your life, other than knowing that you did it. Therefore, what you really want to carefully examine is your financial situation and whether you're able to make a gift in your life as opposed to a testamentary gift. Not that I'm criticizing people who made testamentary bequests, it's just that you don't have the opportunity to see the benefit that you're providing to someone if you're making a gift after you're dead."
Over the summer, George and Roberta announced their decision to endow their scholarship, leaving some people surprised, including their own daughter.
"When my parents told me they endowed a scholarship, I was initially surprised," said Katie Pappayliou.
However, after thinking it over a couple of times, Katie remembered her parents' focus on their generosity and their Pro Humanitate spirit that they had always expressed throughout her life, realizing that this scholarship was another opportunity for them to give back to a school, team, and community that their family all love.
"They have always been generous in all facets of life, from offering a helping hand to any friends or family in need, to providing Thanksgiving dinner to Marines unable to return home. This is another opportunity for them to give back and allow someone the experience of a college education, which has always been highly valued by our family. I am so excited that a future student-athlete will now be able to attend such an amazing university thanks to my parents' selfless decision."
Katie's same excitement can be seen throughout Wake Forest Athletics and football community, including newly appointed head coach Jake Dickert.
"As we begin this new chapter of Wake Forest football, it's inspiring to see families like the Pappaylious investing in the future of our program," Coach Jake Dickert said. "Their generosity ensures our student-athletes have the resources to thrive academically and athletically."
The first recipient of the Pappayliou Family Scholarship will be announced this summer and will be awarded to a football student-athlete chosen by the coaching staff.
"I'm looking forward to meeting the recipients of the scholarship in the future and possibly forming a relationship that lasts beyond their years at Wake," Roberta said.
While this scholarship brings forth a new opportunity to help provide an education for future football student-athletes, George and Roberta Pappayliou also hope their gift will inspire others to decide to help build up Wake Forest Athletics in the future.
"By providing a scholarship endowment, it allows other money that is elsewhere in the Athletic Department to be devoted to other needs. We hope it brings success, but we also recognize that with 100 people on a football team, one scholarship isn't likely to make a move-the-needle kind of difference. It's our hope that other people will be similarly motivated and will make similar gifts in the future."
Those family connections have brought about a lot of fond memories for George and Roberta, including some of their favorite memories with the Demon Deacon football team. The Pappaylious memorialized these moments and cemented a forever connection with Wake Forest Football by making a $2 million gift to the program. This contribution will create a new scholarship for the program, forever endowing the chance for a student to come to Wake Forest and represent the school on the football field while earning a Wake Forest education.
The Pappayliou family have had a long history with the university as a whole and Wake Forest Athletics, joining the Moricle Society in 2019 and having been a part of the International Leadership Circle since its inception during the 2020-21 academic year. However, George and Roberta really started their relationship nearly a decade before that when Katie entered her freshman year in 2008.
"It just flowed naturally from the fact that our daughter was there," said George Pappayliou. "At the time, we were living in Ohio, so we had to come down and visit her and catch some of the football games. That was an opportunity to see her and enjoy the football environment. When she started in 2008, I think Wake was ranked to start the season, which doesn't happen often. The season didn't work out that well, but we enjoyed the experience and we became progressively more involved as time went on."
Following that first season, George and Roberta bumped up their participation with Wake Forest Athletics, becoming members of the Deacon Club within a year. Over time, the Pappaylious began focusing heavily on giving back to Wake Forest and helping to provide a great education for Demon Deacon student-athletes on campus, something that George's father instilled in him from a very young age.
"My father grew up in the depression, and his father was an immigrant to the United States," said George. "I'm not sure my father was paying attention, but what my grandfather told him is that you should go to college and that your education is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you. It's the one thing that you will always have. That's something that I took to heart. In terms of the value of education and the emphasis to which Wake Forest puts on education as a selling point to student-athletes, that's something that is really important to us."
George and Roberta have also been a pivotal part in helping Wake Forest football achieve some of their greatest seasons in program history under the leadership of former head coach Dave Clawson, primarily through helping provide transportation to and from recruitment trips. Through these trips, George and Roberta have been able to build a relationship with Clawson.
"It's pretty much a unique opportunity when Dave is a captive sitting next to you in an airplane for two to three hours. I've had an opportunity to speak to him at a greater length and a greater depth than most people, and my opinion of him is as high as it possibly could be. It's the sort of thing where he's been very open and forthcoming while we've been together. He's always been pleasant and approachable whenever we get the chance to see and talk with him. All of the things that he preaches about what makes Wake Forest special to recruits, such as the size of the university, the closeness to the community, and the emphasis on education, really resonates with us. Dave has been a great friend and it's been great to build that relationship with him."
"It's been a privilege to get to know George and Roberta over the years," Dave Clawson said. "Their passion for Wake Forest and their dedication to the football program is truly inspiring. "The Pappaylious understand the importance of providing opportunities for student-athletes to excel both on and off the field. Their scholarship will have a transformative impact on the lives of players for now and in the generations to come."
Now, in their 16th year as a Deacon Club member and a proud supporter of Wake Forest Athletics, George and Roberta Pappayliou decided to give back to Wake Forest football team by providing a $2 million scholarship to a football student-athlete beginning this summer to better help them achieve a great education at Wake Forest, something that George put extra emphasis on when deciding to make this gift.
"That's one of the reasons that we wanted our gift to involve a scholarship, as opposed to putting the money to other use within the athletic department. It's really important because most college athletes and certainly most college athletes at Wake Forest, in the words of the old NCAA commercial, are going to go pro in something other than sports. The opportunity to get an education that will be useful to them may not be appreciated when they're 23, but when they're 30, it will be very important to them."
The decision for George and Roberta to endow their scholarship came a couple of years ago during a fundraising event during the ACC Basketball Tournament in Brooklyn.
"There was an event during the ACC tournament when it was in Brooklyn where Coach Clawson and Deacon Club member Rhona Sherrill spoke on a panel. During that conversation, she extolled all of that and I think that resonated with my wife. When we had the opportunity to endow a scholarship, I thought that would be a fun thing and that it would be great to form a relationship with these young men."
"Rhona made a great point that remembering Wake Forest in your will probably isn't going to provide you with a lot of satisfaction during your life, other than knowing that you did it. Therefore, what you really want to carefully examine is your financial situation and whether you're able to make a gift in your life as opposed to a testamentary gift. Not that I'm criticizing people who made testamentary bequests, it's just that you don't have the opportunity to see the benefit that you're providing to someone if you're making a gift after you're dead."
Over the summer, George and Roberta announced their decision to endow their scholarship, leaving some people surprised, including their own daughter.
"When my parents told me they endowed a scholarship, I was initially surprised," said Katie Pappayliou.
However, after thinking it over a couple of times, Katie remembered her parents' focus on their generosity and their Pro Humanitate spirit that they had always expressed throughout her life, realizing that this scholarship was another opportunity for them to give back to a school, team, and community that their family all love.
"They have always been generous in all facets of life, from offering a helping hand to any friends or family in need, to providing Thanksgiving dinner to Marines unable to return home. This is another opportunity for them to give back and allow someone the experience of a college education, which has always been highly valued by our family. I am so excited that a future student-athlete will now be able to attend such an amazing university thanks to my parents' selfless decision."
Katie's same excitement can be seen throughout Wake Forest Athletics and football community, including newly appointed head coach Jake Dickert.
"As we begin this new chapter of Wake Forest football, it's inspiring to see families like the Pappaylious investing in the future of our program," Coach Jake Dickert said. "Their generosity ensures our student-athletes have the resources to thrive academically and athletically."
The first recipient of the Pappayliou Family Scholarship will be announced this summer and will be awarded to a football student-athlete chosen by the coaching staff.
"I'm looking forward to meeting the recipients of the scholarship in the future and possibly forming a relationship that lasts beyond their years at Wake," Roberta said.
While this scholarship brings forth a new opportunity to help provide an education for future football student-athletes, George and Roberta Pappayliou also hope their gift will inspire others to decide to help build up Wake Forest Athletics in the future.
"By providing a scholarship endowment, it allows other money that is elsewhere in the Athletic Department to be devoted to other needs. We hope it brings success, but we also recognize that with 100 people on a football team, one scholarship isn't likely to make a move-the-needle kind of difference. It's our hope that other people will be similarly motivated and will make similar gifts in the future."
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