Brogden Native Earns UMO Professor Of The Year Honor

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Waylon Woodall serves as assistant professor of accounting at the University of Mount Olive by title. But ask what he hopes students take with them after graduation, and the answer reaches far beyond the subject itself.

Whether his students go on to become accountants, marketers, entrepreneurs, cybersecurity specialists, or business leaders, Woodall wants them to see work as more than a paycheck. To him, it is a chance to serve others, show integrity, and honor God through how they live and lead.

That conviction defines his approach at the University of Mount Olive, and helped earn him a place as one of two faculty members named 2026 Dr. Thomas R. Morris Professors of the Year.

Woodall grew up in Brogden, near Smithfield, and now lives in Pikeville. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from North Carolina State University and started his professional career with BDO USA LLP before joining UMO’s Tillman School of Business in 2022.

For Woodall, accounting is ultimately about trust. Whether students one day manage financial records, advise clients, audit organizations, or lead businesses, he teaches them that technical knowledge means little without integrity behind it. That outlook took shape long before he ever led a college class. “Seeds were planted throughout my life that led me to this path,” Woodall said. “During college, I worked as a tutor and later as a graduate assistant, both of which strengthened my passion for helping others learn.”

That interest in teaching followed him into public accounting, where he found that training and mentoring new employees was one of the most rewarding parts of the job. “At BDO, one of my greatest joys was training and mentoring new hires,” he said. “I felt the Lord calling me toward a place like UMO, where I could use the gifts He has given me to help others grow into who He has called them to be.”

In his courses today, real-world application carries as much weight as theory.

Students work with industry-standard technology, use interactive study guides, and strengthen their understanding by teaching course concepts to classmates through group presentations. “The best way to learn something is to teach it,” Woodall said. “Teaching forces you to understand your topic enough to communicate it effectively.”

Mastering accounting concepts matters, but Woodall often gauges success in ways many might not expect. “A successful day in the classroom is actually tough to define as a single moment,” he said. “What I keep an eye out for are the small wins along the way. These are the moments when you see the light bulb turn on and students start gaining confidence in themselves.”

Those moments rank among the most rewarding of his career. “It’s really hard for me to point to just one specific story, because I am so thrilled with each of the successes my students have achieved,” he said. “I’ve seen once timid students become confident in themselves, others who were still developing their organizational skills grow into being detail-oriented, and many who were totally unsure of their path discover exactly what they’re meant to pursue.”

Beyond the classroom, Woodall helps students make professional connections and learn more about the careers ahead of them. “When students know you’re invested in their success, they’re much more willing to rise to those expectations and challenge themselves academically,” he said.

The learning has gone both ways. Over the years, his students have changed how he sees people. “Students have taught me never to put people in a box,” he said. “I have learned that those snap judgments are often incomplete and sometimes completely wrong.”

Looking at the fast-changing workforce today’s graduates are entering, Woodall sees enormous potential. “I think one of the greatest opportunities facing today’s college students is that they are truly the AI generation,” he said. “They’re entering a world that is being transformed faster than we have ever seen.”

Still, he believes the real challenge lies less in learning new technology than in learning to use it wisely. “The most important opportunity is learning how to live faithfully in the middle of that transformation,” he said.

Away from campus, Woodall serves on the worship team at First Church in Goldsboro and volunteers each year at C3 Summer Church Camp at Cragmont Assembly. He and his wife, Jaclyn, are raising their daughter, Lillianna, and stay closely connected to their extended families.

For Woodall, teaching at a faith-based institution brings together his profession, his values, and his desire to mentor students. “Teaching at a faith-based institution like the University of Mount Olive is truly an honor,” he said. “It gives me the opportunity to integrate my faith with my calling as an educator in a way that is both intentional and impactful.”

The Dr. Thomas R. Morris Professor of the Year recognition carries special meaning for him because it reflects the work he feels called to do each day. “It serves as a reminder of the commitment I made to the Lord to help raise up a generation of professionals who strive to use their career as a calling,” he said.

Long after they leave his classroom, Woodall hopes his students remember that knowledge alone is not the full measure of success. In accounting, as in life, trust is built through character and the choices people make every day.

The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values.