Campus given 'Elite Leader' status by Andrew Goodman Foundation

Western Carolina University has been designated as an Elite Leader Campus for its student voter participation efforts, one of only five institutions in the country to be so recognized this year.  

Honors College reading project donates to local school meals program

With WCU's 'Book Buddies' program cut short this year, the Honors College is donating $450 to help cover expenses for Smokey Mountain Elementary School's meals-at-home program.  

Annie Vasquez: The Value of People

Annie Vasquez, a graduating senior studying Spanish, was drawn to Western Carolina University by its close-knit community and the importance the university places on every student. She knew that becoming a Catamount would mean that she would be more than just a number in a system, rather she would be valued as a person.  

Sara Mears

Those “I Voted” stickers Sara Mears’ parents wore after casting their ballots each election during her childhood really stuck with her, and now she hopes to persuade others that voting is the best way to show one’s citizenship.  

See Her Story  

Educational Outreach unit donates WCU-branded hand sanitizer to Irene Wortham Center

Western Carolina University’s Division of Educational Outreach recently donated 500 bottles of WCU-branded hand sanitizer to Buncombe County’s Irene Wortham Center.  

Engineering students triple WCU's output of face shields for medical worker use in pandemic

Students from the College of Engineering and Technology have checked out 3D printers from the university and are using them from home to help produce face shields for use by health care professionals during the global COVID-19 pandemic.  

Pandemic Forces Counseling Students to Find New Ways to See Clients

There is nothing like a pandemic to change the rules of work, making us to pivot on the fly, then hope for the best, while simultaneously providing opportunities to learn when we least expect it. David Wynn, a second-year graduate student in Western Carolina University’s counseling program, was forced to change the way he counsels clients after COVID-19 shuttered nonessential businesses across the country. Wynn was dubious, at first, of a new delivery system that was the antithesis of his beliefs regarding counseling.   

Discover Their Story  

Recreational Therapy Students Send Encouraging Cards to Asheville Nursing Home

Sophomore Brianna Hedges was brainstorming with her dad one day on what activities members of Western Carolina University’s Recreational Therapy Association group could participate in as a way to reach out while they are physically unable to go out and volunteer in places because of the COVID-19 crisis.  

College of Engineering and Technology Using 3D Printers for COVID-19 Fight

Faculty, staff and students in the College of Engineering and Technology at Western Carolina University are using 3D printers in the college’s Rapid Center to develop visors for face shields for use by health care workers in their battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. The work is part of a nationwide initiative by Stratasys, manufacturer of several 3D printers used by WCU’s Rapid Center.