edited by Em Acuña
Volume 9, Issue 16
January 14, 2026
Dear Honors Community,
I’m excited and honored to step into the role as the editor of the Honors Wednesday Memo (HWM)! I thank Kaylie Morales for all the help and support she provided during my training. I joined App State and the Honors College in August 2022, and since January 2024, I have been fortunate to work as a front office student worker for the college. In January of 2025, I became the HWM assistant editor and social media manager. Through these roles, I have connected with faculty and students on a deeper level and already learned so many lessons in mentorship, collaboration, and community.
I was drawn to the Honors College for the special community we cultivate that acts as a stable support throughout the college experience. This Memo is just one way the Honors College fosters community by highlighting incredible opportunities and accomplishments. I value that, and all that Honors has given and done for me, and I’m excited to be more a part of it. I love contributing to this wonderful community.
While my journey in Honors and at App State is nearing its end, I know that this experience as HWM will be one that will stay with me forever. I’m honored to be involved, and I hope to leave a positive impact on the Memo before I leave.
Best wishes
Em Acuña
Upcoming Opportunities:
Dr. Klima is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
Free Online Courses from Okayama University (Japan)
Okayama University in Japan is offering a set of free, on-demand online courses focused on art, culture, sustainability, and social innovation. Students will earn one Okayama University academic credit per course. The courses available include: Social Issues Reflected in Artworks of the Seto Inland Sea, Approaching Transdisciplinary Artworks – Case Studies Addressing SDG Challenges, Driving the Setouchi Art Movement Toward a Circular Society, and Exploring Setouchi’s Art Through Dialogue and Inquiry. Applications will be submitted via the JV-Campus platform and are due on Friday, January 16, 2026 (JST). For additional information email App State’s Office of International Programs.
SRHC 2026 Conference Student Presenters
The Call for Proposals for the Southern Regional Honors Council annual meetings, March 26 – 28, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama, closes on January 31, 2026. Students are encouraged to submit proposals for poster presentations, panels, creative works or performances, and roundtable presentations. Interested students should submit a proposal and contact Dr. Heather Waldroup by Wednesday, January 21, to confirm interest in traveling with our Honors College group. Limited funding is available for travel, hotel, and registration. For more information, contact Dr. Heather Waldroup and visit the SRHC 2026 website.
Teach for America & Nationally Competitive Scholarships Virtual Information Session
Teach for America and App State’s Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) will host a virtual information session on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 on Zoom. Teach for America will discuss paid internship opportunities from 6:00 – 6:30 p.m., and NCS will introduce scholarship and fellowship opportunities from 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. A question and answer session will follow from 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. For questions, contact Dara Carney-Nedelman with NCS.
Partners in the Parks & SRHC Scholarship
The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) offers students the opportunity to experience America’s national parks through five-day immersive Partners in the Park programs focused on education, recreation, and leadership. While all students at NCHC institutions (including App State) are eligible to register for PIP programs, the Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC) typically offers a limited number of grants to help cover costs. Because the SRHC allows only one nominee per college and often has a very short turnaround time, the Honors College is pre-selecting our candidate now to be ready when the scholarship is announced. To be considered for our official letter of support, please email your CV and a letter of interest explaining your program choice, what you will contribute, and how you will benefit to Vicky Klima by January 27, 2026. We'll inform the student we select for the letter of support by February 1, 2026.
Nationally Competitive Scholarships Deadlines
Several Nationally Competitive Scholarships have fast-approaching deadlines. The Boren Scholarship application is due on January 28, 2026. The Fulbright UK Summer Institute application is open until February 2, 2026. The Hispanic Scholarship Fund application closes on February 15, 2026. Schedule a meeting or email the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships for further information or to get help crafting applications.
Stay in the Know:
Research & Creative Activity Connections
The Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) is hosting a Research and Creative Activity Connections (ReCon) event on Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 4:45 – 6:30 p.m. in the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship (room 2018) in Peacock Hall. This event provides a venue for informal research and creative activity networking, showcasing university creative endeavors, and more.
Mountaineer Laughs!
Presented by The Comedy Zone, Mountaineer Laughs! Comedy Show will host its second installment on January 16, 2026 at Appalachian Theatre. The show will feature comedian Dale Jones with special guest Tyrone Burstone. Tickets to this show will also allow individuals to attend an App State Men’s Basketball game on that same weekend. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the show starts at 7:00 p.m. Tickets on sale now!
Community Music Schools
Registration is now open for the Spring 2026 semester at App State’s Community Music School group, including: Appalachian Chorale, Appalachian YOUTH Chorale, Appalachian Symphony Orchestra, Appalachian Community Orchestra, and Let’s Play Piano. For more details and contact information, visit their website.
Pathways to Resilience Climate Event
The Pathways to Resilience QEP and partners across campus have various opportunities this semester for students to grow climate literacy. The first event will be “Climate Connection with Expressive Arts Therapy” held on Wednesday, February 25, 2025. The session will be a group expressive arts therapy session, allowing participants to express their feelings about climate anxiety and to discover new ways to cope with stress and uncertainty surrounding the climate crisis. It will be facilitated by Dr. Katie Biddle and her graduate students, and hosted in Reich College of Education Building, room 301 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Access the Engage event to RSVP.
BANFF Mountain Film Festival Returns to Boone for 29th Year
The Banff Mountain Film Festival returns to Appalachian State University at the Schaefer Center, March 19 - 21, 2026. Tickets are on sale now, $15 for App State students and $20 for the public, on the Schaefer website.
In the Honors Spotlight
Four Honors College Faculty Led Education Abroad Programs travel to Vienna, Austria; Ireland and Northern Ireland; Scotland and England; and Guatemala over the summer 2025
Top photo features Jillian Bogart in the Isle of Skye in the Highlands of Scotland, June 15, 2025. Photo by Isabel “Izzy” Rains.
The Honors College offered four Faculty-Led Education Abroad Programs (FLEAP) over the summer of 2025: Culture and Arts in Vienna; Peacebuilding and the Arts in Ireland and Northern Ireland; Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes to Scotland and England; and Education and Sustainability in Indigenous Guatemala. Each of these FLEAPs supported students’ individual holistic development and engagement beyond themselves, across disciplinary boundaries, and in collaboration with others. Stay tuned to the next four Honors Wednesday Memos to learn about each of the individual Honors College faculty-led trips from summer 2025.
Read the full spotlight story to hear from some students and learn more about the Honors College international education requirement and programs.
The Honors College looks forward to hearing about and sharing future stories from students traveling on its summer 2026 FLEAPs to study Love, Sex, and Power in Christianity in Italy and France; Meaning and Fantasy in Japan; African Climate Literacy and Development in Zambia; and Landscapes of Post-Conflict in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Have announcements to share? Submissions can be made to honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.
Have a story to share? Share what you have done, what you are doing, or what you will be doing by submitting a story here.
To stay in the know, learn about opportunities, and take part in the Honors community, find us below!