Every once in a while, a student manages to find success, rise to the top of their field and be recognized for their achievements. For Greg Volk, a 2003 N.C. State alum, that is exactly what happened.
Volk intially came to the N.C. State to study engineering, but a growing interest in communications and writing brought him to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. His education culminated with a semester-long internship on The Late Show with Dave Letterman in New York, sealing his interest in writing for television.
After a couple years of writing monologues for Letterman, Volk was hired by VH1. This led him to a job writing questions for Cash Cab, a popular game show, and writing questions for the show brought him his first Emmy award in 2009.
Volk expressed his surprise about winning the award in a recent interview.
“I never imagined myself winning an Emmy,” Volk said. “It was a dream I never realized I had, until it came true.”
Cash Cab, for which Volk won a second award in 2010, has been a Discovery Channel staple since 2005. The show follows a cab in New York City that surprises its passengers with trivia questions and the chance to win hundreds of dollars. Its unique premise has made it a popular program among N.C. State students.
Carolyne Evans, a sophomore in biological sciences, expressed her interest in the show.
“Cash Cab is fun because it’s so different from other game shows,” Evans said. “It takes an everyday activity and makes it into something exciting.”
Volk’s Emmy wins for his work on Cash Cab have solidified his success, and his ties to the University remain strong. In the past Volk stated the importance his education played a role in guiding his career.
“It’s great that [Volk] is supportive of the school,” Evans said. “It says a lot for N.C. State that an alum has gone on to make such a big name for themselves on the strength of their education.”
Volk’s success is certainly an important victory for N.C. State as well, the CHASS department in particular.
Jill McCorkle, an English professor, expressed what the success of graduates means to the department and the professors.
“The success of the graduates is what it’s all about,” McCorkle said. “Their success is, of course, a source of pride for the department, but we are also genuinely thrilled for [our former] students.”
This Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., Volk will be appearing at D.H. Hill Library to kick off the library’s Amazing Alumni program. The event fittingly coincides with Communications Week, as Volk has built his career in writing for media projects.
