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Decide to Succeed: Stories

Your defining choice is one that you make every day. It's the choice to work harder than the person next to you, to fight for an ambition that seems impossible, to chase after a goal with persistent determination. Choosing a university is more than just a beautiful location or a degree program, it's about finding a supportive community that recognizes your potential and a program that will help you achieve your future.

Students studying a pig heart

Beyond the Books

It was a long day with an early start, but well worth the effort for 18 Western Carolina University students to see first-hand what their future careers could be, all thanks to some high-ranking WCU alumni in Cobb County, Georgia, and WCU’s Shadowing Day program.  

Hannah Styles

Communication Student Spends Summer Covering Washington Politics

Earlier this year, Hannah Styles was searching through the Center for Career and Professional Development's Job Cat website looking for summer internship possibilities. She came across a link for the National Journalism Center, which places students with various media outlets in Washington, D.C. Despite knowing she would be facing a competitive field, Styles decided to apply.  

John Morgan in the woods

Share the Stoke for Geology - How One Student Strives to Protect the World We Live In

John Morgan spends a lot of his time searching in the woods for tiny trickles of water. Why? Because John believes that the better we understand the world that we live in, the more we can do to protect it.  

WCU Student Tori Renfroe

Tumors Hamper But Don’t Stop Student from Living Her Best College Life

At age 19, Victoria (Tori) Renfroe has about 30 years left to live, according to the hourglass she’s been handed by her doctors. That’s right, to age 49. Yes, she’s hopeful for a little more time, and with regular doctors’ visits, she might get it, she said. But in the meantime, she’s got college to finish, law school to attend, human rights to protect, a puppy to raise, a relationship to revel in and, well, you get the idea.   

Kyle Monaghan

Engineering Students' Ingenuity Leads to a Trekking Pole for the Digital Age

Almost as ubiquitous as hiking boots is a hiking stick, an age-old means to steady a climb, keep one’s balance, push aside brush and ease a descent. Now, add one more function: phone charger, thanks to the ingenuity of Western Carolina University engineering student Kyle Monaghan.  

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