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established by placing students in the
mountains far away from “big city
distractions.”
“From walking the wall before finals,
to Greek cheers on the plaza, to Chapel
services each Wednesday, Young Harris
has a strong campus culture,” he
explained. “I always find I have similar
stories and experiences to talk about with
other alumni, no matter when they were
in the valley.”
As a student, Anderson quickly found
that, while classes were “tough,” they
were also guided by professors who loved
teaching and cared about the students.
the second floor of the library into his
“day dorm.” He put in countless hours
to establish successful study habits that
would carry over to his days at Kennesaw
State University, where he earned a dual
B.B.A. in accounting and management.
During his senior year at KSU, a fellow
YHC alumnus, Brantley Barrow, ’74, gave
Anderson the opportunity to intern in
the accounting department at Hardin
Construction in Atlanta.
“I owe a lot to my internship at Hardin,
and the opportunity came about simply
because of a Young Harris connection,”
he said. “I am forever grateful and hope
that one day I will be in a position to
help another YHC graduate get his or
her start.”
After graduation, Anderson worked
for certified public accounting firm
Carr, Riggs and Ingram for two years
before becoming a senior accountant
for Guardian Pharmacy in Atlanta.
“When I go into business meetings,
I am able to talk about my years at
YHC. A strong YHC translates to a
benefactors and advocates Dr. Harry Hill
speak during a banquet at an alumni
event. Inspired by Dr. Hill’s legacy of
giving to YHC, Anderson decided at
the time that he could give $20 each
month—which he continues to do today.
“My psyche isn’t geared towards
writing checks over $100 at a time, but
I can handle having a smaller amount
auto-drafted from my bank account every
month. It’s much easier for me to do that
instead of writing one bigger check at the
end of the year,” he explained.
Anderson recognizes that gifts like his,
no matter how big or small, allow the
College to steadily flourish with each
strong fiscal year. He dedicates his gifts
to the Young Harris Annual Fund to
support the day-to-day functions of the
College, working to ensure that current
students have meaningful experiences
they will one day treasure as alumni.
“I have been shown for years about
the importance of giving back and how
to give back,” he said. “Now it is my turn
to do the same.”
Forever Young Harris
This was illustrated
one morning in April
when he was struggling
with “spring fever”—a
condition known to
plague numerous
YHC students with
recognizable symptoms
like a heightened desire to
fish, hike and swim.
“I remember getting
a phone call from a
professor before one of
my early classes, urging me to shake
off that spring fever and get to his class
that started in 10 minutes,” Anderson
recalled. “I don’t think any of my friends
at other colleges had the same access
to their professors that I did at Young
Harris.”
During his sophomore year, Anderson
converted one of the study rooms on
strong perception by the other
person,” he said. “It is vital that YHC
continue to recruit the top caliber of
students that it has become known for,
which will in turn provide continued
longevity for the College’s success.”
Anderson first realized the
importance of regular giving after
hearing one of the College’s long-time
Matt Anderson’s former YHC
classmates and friends showed
up in force at his wedding in
October 2011. Far left: Anderson
with Weston Rikard, ‘03; Middle,
L-R: Robert Kessler, ‘02, Katie
Atcheson and husband Adam
Atcheson, ‘02, Daniel Brown, ‘02,
and wife Sherry Brown, Stephanie
Davis Cannon, ‘02, and husband
David Cannon, ‘02, Weston Rikard
and wife Christy Rikard, and Matt
Long, ‘03; Below: Anderson with
the Rikards and Cannons.
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