PEMBROKE — The University of North Carolina at Pembroke honored a trio of distinguished alumni during Friday’s 56th annual Alumni Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremony.
The dinner and award show were among the many high points of Homecoming weekend, which included the annual step show, a comedy show, an alumni tailgate party and the homecoming matchup against West Virginia State, in which the Braves defeated the Yellow Jackets 62-17.
This year’s alumni award recipients were Taley Strickland Hunt ‘18, ‘20 (Young Alumni of the Year) Christine Sides Fisher ‘75 (Outstanding Alumni of the Year) and Ret. Col. Carlos Berdecia ‘01 (Distinguished Alumni of the Year).
Hunt, a two-time graduate, earned a degree in mass communications and an MBA from UNC Pembroke. She served as Miss UNCP 2018 and is a beta chapter member of Alpha Pi Omega Sorority. Hunt served as assistant and later senior director in Undergraduate Admissions at UNCP before relocating to Columbia, S.C., with her husband, Jordan ‘17, and their daughter, Reese, where she launched an impressive career in the real estate industry. Hunt serves as CEO of Taley Hunt Home Group, where her innovative approach and dynamic leadership have led to remarkable advancements.
Earlier in the day, a ceremony was held to celebrate the naming of the Taley and Jordan Hunt Braves Resource Center. Formerly known as the CARE Resource Center, the center offers a food pantry that addresses food insecurity and poverty on campus and in the local community.
Hunt embodies the spirit of the Young Alumna of the Year Award through her exemplary career, unwavering community service and steadfast support of UNCP.
Fisher retired in 2019 from the South Carolina Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) at Winthrop University after serving as executive director for 20 years. Under her leadership, the program grew to serve 84 schools or districts and 171,000 students. In 1998, she was named the South Carolina Teacher of the Year––the only music teacher to hold the honor in the program’s history. She was twice selected as a school and district Teacher of the Year and twice chosen as one of the five South Carolina honor roll teachers
She received the 2006 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award, and in 2012, Winthrop University inducted her into its prestigious Medal of Honor in Arts Society.
Ret. Col. Berdecia is a distinguished U.S. Air Force veteran. He served honorably for 23 years as a C-17 pilot and most recently as the Operations Group Commander at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. His commitment to excellence and leadership in aviation has left a lasting impact on the Air Force and the communities he served.
Throughout his military career, Berdecia demonstrated exemplary skills in strategic airlift operations, flight safety, and mission planning, culminating in a reputation as a highly skilled aviator and an adaptive leader. He was deployed on numerous worldwide missions, providing critical airlift support during combat operations, humanitarian efforts and disaster relief. He held various leadership positions, mentoring the next generation of airmen and fostering a culture of teamwork and professionalism.
His commitment to service extends beyond his time as an Air Force officer. Berdecia was actively involved in community outreach initiatives, helping to bridge the gap between the military and civilian communities and advocating for veterans’ issues.
After retiring, he continues to inspire others through his involvement with numerous veteran non-profit organizations. Berdecia resides in Charleston, S.C., with his wife, Eva.