My name is Norman Bineyard, a 2001 graduate from the College of Engineering. My homecoming journey starts at the North Carolina A&T homecoming coronation. I had the honor of participating in two coronations from 1997 to 2001. Never in my life did I think I would learn the tango at one coronation and meet my wife at the other. Having the coronation experience as the jump-off point to my homecoming made me appreciate all that is distinguished about Aggieland.  

On top of this, I was able to participate in coronation alongside the same people that today we call Our Village. We are made up of six families – 12 adults and 16 kids – in which one if not both parents in each family are North Carolina A&T graduates. Because of the experience we had at A&T, we were put in position to start our careers in various parts of the country. Due to the long distance, we had to come up with a way to keep our Aggie spirit strong together but spread in the neighborhoods we now occupied. And what better way to do that than to pay tribute to our homecoming experience at A&T? So we made a commitment to one another that, like homecoming, we would see each other every year.  

As our village grew larger and larger with adding children, we knew we had something special. Coming from New York, I had no idea I would encounter such a lifelong family and be put in position to pour that Aggie spirit into our children. Already our village has kids growing, attending and getting degrees from A&T. Ultimately, this village built with the pearls consumed at A&T, takes great pride in breathing life into this next generation. Our kids will go on to create amazing things in our society and as they embark on their personal journey. Much like leaving financial wealth, we want to leave emotional wealth by way of this generational village.  

Shoutout to my fellow A&T graduates Ileka Dingle (Scruggs), Shamina Dillard (Draper), Candice Bineyard (Flowers), Raushawna Price (Clayton), Tye McGrath, John Dingle, Steven Dethridge, Jovani Price and our extended A&T family, Nuria McGrath, Connie Dethridge and Mark Dillard. We are forever on this journey together to show the world our village is the product of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and the Greatest Homecoming On Earth. 

Norman Bineyard ‘01