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Impact Stories

Our alumni, community, faculty, staff, and partners are dedicated to supporting the success of current and future Catamounts. Western Carolina University is committed to sustaining and improving individual lives through education and by enhancing the economic and community development of our region. Discover the philanthropy and the people who make this happen...

Lead the Way Reveal

‘Lead the Way’ fundraising campaign total surpasses $60 million goal

David Belcher would be proud. Thanks to more than 12,000 donors — nearly half of those first-time donors — the Western Carolina University family helped the beloved late chancellor meet his pledge of raising millions of dollars in scholarship support to help WCU students pay for their education.   

Aerial image of campus in the snow

Year-end giving pushes WCU's 'Lead the Way' fundraising campaign past $58 million mark

Western Carolina University’s “Lead the Way” comprehensive fundraising campaign climbed ever closer to hitting its goal of $60 million as a surge of year-end giving pushed the total raised to date to $58.7 million. Among the recent contributions to the campaign is an anonymous estate gift of $1 million to go toward student scholarships, which is the top priority of “Lead the Way: A Campaign Inspired by the Belcher Years.” The campaign is scheduled to come to a close this spring.  

WCU College of Business Faculty Hollye Moss

Moss fund supports teaching excellence, honors colleague

With a new doctorate under her belt and her dream job at Western Carolina University in hand, Hollye Moss jumped right in – and promptly started to sink. No longer distracted by a dissertation, Moss realized something was lacking: her teaching skills.   

POTM Field

Giving Tuesday efforts to focus on band’s trip to Macy’s, student-athletes

WCU will kick off the season of generosity five days after Thanksgiving with Giving Tuesday. This year, the focus will be on two special projects – upgrading the student-athlete computer lab and sending the Pride of the Mountains marching band to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2019.  

Enid and Curtis Melzter

Meltzer scholarship endowment will benefit hundreds of students from array of disciplines

When former Highlands resident Curtis Meltzer died Dec. 17, 2017, he left a multimillion dollar estate gift to WCU to support students in the College of Arts and Sciences, increasing his and wife Enid’s overall scholarship endowment to $3.3 million.  

Foundation Board

Foundation Board honors Belchers with endowed scholarship

WCU’s Foundation Board of Directors express gratitude for David and Susan Belcher with a new endowed scholarship in their honor.  

Soccer Alumni

Soccer lovers keep kickin’ long after game is over

It’s for the love of the game that former members of WCU’s men’s soccer team keep coming back to campus to see former teammates, play a little soccer and raise money for the WCU soccer program.   

Campus

WCU employees give back in time, talent, treasure

Members of WCU’s faculty and staff senates do their part by coming together to support those in need.  

Brinkley Weigh Room

Catamount student-athletes benefit from generosity of alumni

David and Marie Brinkley believe in the Catamounts so much they donated $400,000 to improve the weight-lifting facility at Western Carolina University, their alma mater, which benefits all WCU athletes. Yes, they’ve been blessed with money, they say, but the joy is in helping others.  

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