The Appalachian Honors Association (AHA!)
Upcoming Activities:
Thursday, November 17, 2022: AHA! Friendsgiving and App Builds a Home
AHA! is the student-elected organization for The Honors College student body. The primary goal of AHA! is to facilitate community building among and support for Honors students. Fisrt-year students are especially encouraged to participate; AHA! provides invaluable interaction with upperclass mentors/peers helping students assimilate to the Honors community. Meetings foster a sense of togetherness among students and emphasize the importance of having a well-rounded App State experience.
The elected officers serve as the Honors College Student Advisory Board, providing a liaison between the students and the Honors faculty, staff, and the HC Advisory Board. As an officially recognized App State club, AHA! additionally helps increase Honors visibility throughout campus.
The current Honors Association leadership, with support from their Honors Advisor and the CSIL, have great plans for this year, so join in and get involved!
2022-23 Officers and Honors College Student Advisory Board
The president in AHA! serves as part of the ad hoc three-person grievance subcommittee representative in the need of such an event. For more information see The Honors College Policies on Academic Integrity and Code of Student Conduct.
President: Alisa Duong (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Alisa Duong. Photo submitted.
"Hi everyone! My name is Alisa Duong and I am currently a senior majoring in cellular/molecular biology with hopes of entering the dental field! I am also the president of AHA! for the 2022-2023 academic year! The Honors College and AHA! have both provided me with a smaller community of people that share my passions and interests both inside and outside of the classroom. This more tight-knit community made App feel more like a home during my freshman year and beyond. I have met some of my closest friends through both the Honors College and AHA! and that is something I hope to continue to foster for others! Through planning various monthly social events, I hope we continue to get to know each other better! If you have any ideas you’d like to see for these monthly social events, please let one of us on AHA! Exec know!"
Vice President: Anna Carroll (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Anna Carroll. Photo submitted.
"Hey Everyone! I am an Economics major with a minor in Math. This is my third year at App and I will be graduating next Spring in 2024. This is my second year in AHA! as an executive member, I love working with the exec team to plan events. Honors college has been a great experience for me and I love working with people in Honors and trying to build up the Honors community!"
Secretary: Angela Sajewicz (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Angela Sajewicz. Photo submitted.
"I am a Sophomore Honors student from Raleigh, NC with a major in Criminal Justice and concentration in International Studies."
Treasurer: Lanna Bruce (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Lanna Bruce. Photo submitted.
"Hello! My name is Lanna and I am a sophomore Biology major and music minor. The honors college has honestly made my experience at Appalachian like no other. It truly was a guidance during my freshman year and led me to a group of people with which I feel comfortable and truly happy. The environment of the honors college is very unique, and is a great aid in the difficult transition from living at home, to being in college. I want to be a resource to everyone in the honors college, incoming or returning, and hope to have a fun and event-packed year! Please feel free to email me with any questions or just to talk in general :)"
Service Chair: Ella Brose (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Ella Brose. Photo submitted.
"Hi! I am a senior Honors College student and Appalachian Diversity Scholar majoring in Global Studies (with a focus on Global Health and International Development). I center all of my extracurricular involvements on servant-leadership and community building. I am the current President of Alpha Phi Omega, a Student Assistant and Community Fellow for the Office of Community-Engaged Leadership, a member of the Honors Vanguard, and also the AHA! Service Chair. I cannot wait to support Honors students and the Watauga community through some awesome service projects!"
Deputy Service Chair: Emiley Nance (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Emiley Nance. Photo submitted.
"Hi! My name is Emiley and I am a second-year junior majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Health and Aging. I am also involved in APPS (Appalachian Programming Society) and this year's Deputy Service Chair for AHA!"
Social Media Coordinator: Francine Ollila (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Francine Ollila. Photo submitted.
"Hey y'all! I am a junior Elementary Education major with a Spanish minor. This is my second year being a part of the AHA! executive team and I have really enjoyed it! I have loved being a part of the Honors College even though my first year was fully online. Honors is a great way to build community and meet people and I really encourage y'all to come to the events we put on to keep that community alive. If you ever have any questions about Honors, AHA! or App in general feel free to reach out :)"
Social Media Coordinator Deputy Officer: Gracie Landrum (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Gracie Landrum. Photo submitted.
"Hello, my name is Gracie Landrum and I am a sophomore in the Honors College majoring in Advertising with a minor in Graphic Communications Management. Some of my hobbies include running, reading, and spending time with my friends! I am looking forward to managing the AHA! social media so that honors students are able to stay up to date with ongoing events in the Honors College as well as the Appalachian community. I am looking forward to the many fun events that AHA! has planned throughout the upcoming school year, and I am excited to contribute to this great organization!"
General Executive Team Member: Allie Tippin (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Allie Tippin. Photo submitted.
"Hi! I'm a junior Elementary Education major with a minor in Psychology. If I'm not in class or doing work, you'll find me outside, hiking, or hanging out with friends! My favorite thing about the Honors College and AHA! is the community! I've had many great conversations with my peers and faculty, everyone is so open and supportive."
General Executive Team Member: Maggie Vaughn (she/her/hers)
Photo above of Maggie Vaughn. Photo submitted.
"Hi! My name is Maggie Vaughn and I am a current second year in the Honors College. After growing up in a small town, I sought out the Honors College here at Appalachian to have a similar tight-knit community in which I was raised. I wanted to be able to learn and grow with like-minded individuals while also having all of the opportunities that a large university affords. I am so lucky to have been able to find that in the Honors College at App State and will encourage anyone I interact with to consider doing the same!"