Born in 1948, Reginald Willis grew up in the rural community of Blounts Creek, North Carolina, where he still resides today.  He says his work on the family farm as a child taught him how to survive, as it meant rising at 4:30 in the morning and not stopping until dusk. After graduating from the all-black SW Snowden School in Aurora, North Carolina, he went on to work as a welder at Hackney, a company that builds truck bodies and trailers, in Washington, North Carolina, for the next 49 years. Community service was also a part of his heart and soul, as he was always there to lend a helping hand to others.  “It’s been a good life.”