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Justin Lee Wesley Sharpe graduated cum laude from East Carolina University on May 4 with a bachelor of science degree in public health, with a pre-health profession concentration, and a minor in biology.

Sharpe was part of the Honors College during his time at ECU, where honors classes and undergraduate research was required for him to graduate with University Honors.

While at East Carolina, Sharpe was heavily involved in student organizations and held many leadership roles on campus. He was part of the East Carolina University Chapter of HOSA for all four years, serving three of those years on the executive council as historian, president-elect and president his senior year.

During those years, he traveled with HOSA to the annual North Carolina HOSA State Leadership Conference where he took home 1st place each year in various competitions such as Chapter Website, Career Health Display, Extemporaneous Health Poster, and Medical Photography.

Sharpe was also part of Phi Eta Sigma International Honor Society, where he was historian his sophomore year and the Golden Key International Honor Society for two years, holding positions as Director of Membership and Director of Online Communications.

Sharpe is also an initiated brother of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, which he joined during his sophomore year. Due to his service and leadership to these organizations during his undergraduate career, Sharpe was named an Exemplary Leader by East Carolina for the 2011-2012 school year.

Within the College of Health and Human Performance, Sharpe served as a fall commencement marshal his sophomore year and was asked to speak to undergraduate students as an ECU Excel Key-Note Speaker this past spring. The faculty of the College of Health and Human Performance also recognized Sharpe at graduation as their 2012 Outstanding Senior for Pre-Health Professions.

During the summer between his sophomore and junior year, Sharpe traveled to Italy and France for a month to gain field experience in Nutrition and Healthcare.

Last summer Sharpe completed an internship with Wake Forest Baptist Health in the Pulmonary Intensive Care Unit where he gained hands on experience working with patients.

Sharpe will be a returning Pirate in the fall at East Carolina, attending graduate school for his Masters in Public Health. Sharpe is the son of Chris and Kathy Sharpe of Yadkinville and the grandson to Jasper and Phyllis Adams, of Yadkinville, and Junior and Ruby Sharpe of Lone Hickory.