Western Carolina University

MFA Student Alexa Turnbull Uses Her Time and Talents for the Good of Others

Alexa Turnbull has always had a passion for art, which is why she is currently a student in the Master of Fine Art Program at Western Carolina University. Alexa is using her talent to fuel her other passion, which is helping incarcerated members of the LGBTQ community and sex workers. It’s a cause she feels deeply about, which is why after receiving her bachelor’s degree from Florida State, Alexa set up Seether Bookstore.

Freshman Cassidy Burns wins National Student Production Award

It was Halloween weekend and Western Carolina University freshman Cassidy Burns was visiting a friend at Clemson University when she got a phone call from her mother. Burns and her friend were in Starbucks when her phone rang. Her mom told her to check out Twitter where the Foundation of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was live-streaming its 4th Annual National Student Production Awards.

Graduate Profile: Christine McConnell

Christine McConnell began her college career as a first-generation student majoring in theatre in 2013 and continued her studies through her junior year. At the end of the spring semester in 2016, Christine decided to take a semester off to spend some time with her sister in Portland, Oregon—in her own words, “learning to be an adult.” She returned to North Carolina three months later, ready to resume her studies, but just a month after her return, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Her whole life was put on hold for treatment.

Pride of the Mountain Marching Band Snare Drum Player Inspires the Next Generation

Amanda Muse is one of very few female snare drum players who perform at the highest levels of marching band. After overcoming stereotypes and physical challenges, Amanda uses her talent to inspire a new generation of musicians. The Pride of the Mountains Marching Band has given her the opportunity to share her gift with thousands of younger drummers. It has also given her the ride of a lifetime while performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and at the Bands of America Grand Nationals competition in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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.

Scholarships Lead to Success on Stage and Screen

Hidden among the pages of his childhood journal, Western Carolina University senior Briar Boggs found a sign, THE sign: a wistful note from his 10-year-old self, longing for a dream he did not think possible. The discovery made him cry.

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