CIS Greater Greensboro

Hershel McNeil

July 2021

Alumni Spotlight: Hershel McNeil Class of 2001

Hershel McNeil graduated from Smith High School in 2001. For three years, he participated in the Communities In Schools® (CIS™) program at Smith. Jim Kelley, former district manager for Duke Power, mentored Hershel for three years; Rinda Estes served as his site coordinator. While at Smith, Hershel stood out as a promising football and baseball prospect, earning a football scholarship to Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, CA where he played cornerback for one year. Following Bakersfield, Hershel returned to NC where he enrolled at Rockingham Community College. After two years, Hershel transferred to Elizabeth City where he played baseball and graduated with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. Currently, Herschel just accepted a full-time teaching position in the business department at Dudley High School. He also serves as the district manager for Valet Living Home. He is married with a blended family of five children with one on the way. When asked why he gives back, Herschel replied: “When I was in Raleigh, I decided to use the same platform as CIS when coaching in the inner-city baseball league sponsored by the Raleigh Police Dept. and Parks and Recreation. I could have coached more privileged youth, but decided to invest in the inner-city program. Since the community poured into me through CIS, I decided it was time for me to pour into the community.”

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