The Heather Smith Brown endowment for the Chancellor's Scholars was established by her family in 2021 to honor the academic legacy of their daughter, wife, and sister, Heather Smith Brown, a probation officer for the state of North Carolina. Heather Smith Brown graduated from Appalachian State University in 2005. A Chancellor’s Scholar, Heather also graduated from the Honors College at Appalachian while struggling with a life-threatening cancer that would eventually take her life.
Through it all, she never allowed her illness to define her. Among her many achievements, Heather earned the highest honor in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award, for creating a memorial garden on the grounds of Burke County Hospice, and raised thousands of dollars in support of cancer research through Relay for Life.
Heather Smith Brown valued the experiences and friendships she gained through the Honors College. This endowment and student engagement fund is dedicated to her steadfast commitment to educational and professional achievement in the face of overwhelming odds, and will support and inspire current and future Honors College students.