edited by Em Acuña
Volume 9, Issue 22
February 25, 2026
Dear Honors,
As a senior, I am constantly reflecting on my time in the Honors College and at App State. I have been fortunate enough to engage in various opportunities and experiences thanks to the Honors College. Our spotlight story this week highlights the trip Seleen Al Horani and I took to San Diego, CA, last semester, to attend the 2025 National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) annual meetings. There, we joined honors faculty and students from across the country, celebrating and defining Honors education. Our Honors community wants to see you thrive, so take advantage of the opportunities and resources like those in this memo. Remain curious and find ways to get involved across campus and beyond; the perspectives you will gain will be invaluable.
Best,
Em
Upcoming Opportunities:
Dr. Klima is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
29th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors
The Office of Student Research invites students to submit abstracts for the 29th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors. Submissions are welcomed from both undergraduate and graduate students in any discipline and can include completed research projects, works in progress, creative endeavors, applied projects, and research proposals. This event showcases faculty-mentored scholarship and the impact of student research and creative activity across campus. The event will be held on Wednesday, April 22 on the 4th floor of PSU. Abstract submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. on March 4. Visit the Office of Student Research website for more information.
CAREEReady Conflict Management Workshop
The Career Development Center is hosting the CAREEReady workshop series to equip students with professional skills. Career coaches and local employers facilitate each session. The second session, “Conflict Management,” will be held on March 2 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., in PSU 100. Lunch will be provided. RSVP via Engage.
CEL AppLEADS Certification (Goal Setting)
The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership (CEL) is offering the final workshop in the AppLEADs program series: Goal-Setting, on either March 3, 4, or 5. Participants completing each of the five workshops in this series will earn a certificate demonstrating their commitment to leadership development. Register on Engage for the Advance session and five workshops. For any questions, contact Kaleigh Del Greco, interim coordinator with CEL.
Career Development Center Upcoming Career Fairs
The Career Development Center (CDC) will host the Construction, Design, and Renewable Energy Technology Fair on Tuesday, March 3 from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center. This event is targeted for students in the STBE discipline and open to all class levels. Register for this event via Handshake. The CDC will also host the Spring 2026 Internship & Job Fair on Wednesday, March 4 from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center. This event will have more than 100 employers with internship and job opportunities for all students. Register for this event via Handshake.
Wake Forest University School of Business Accelerated Graduate Pathways
Wake Forest University School of Business offers two accelerated, high-impact 10-month graduate programs: the Master of Science in Management (MSM) and the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA)—both open to students without an undergraduate business major. All applicants can be considered for merit and need-based scholarships, and they have a small selection of highly competitive full-tuition scholarships available in both programs. To learn more, reach out to Alex Peoples via email or at (336) 528-2449. Alex will be at App State for the Internship and Job Fair on March 4 and will be available to meet separately to discuss these programs in more detail.
Stay in the Know:
The Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
The Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series invites authors to come and discuss their works throughout the semester. The first event by playwright Kira Rockwell will be performed Wednesday, February 25 – Sunday, March 1 in Valborg Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at the Valborg Theatre box office. The series will continue with visits from Tim Earley on Wednesday, March 18, Lillian-Yvonne Bertram on Thursday, March 26, and Gary Wheeler on Wednesday, April 8. All events, aside from the play, are free and open to the public. For more information, read the press release.
Hayes School of Music Performances
The Hayes School of Music (HSOM) has a variety of upcoming performances this week. “Celebration of American Art Song!” will take place on Thursday, February 26 at 8:00 p.m. in Schaffel Recital Hall. The Appalachian Symphony Orchestra will perform “The Planets” on Friday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m. in the Schaefer Center. On Sunday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. in the Schaefer Center, the ASO Family Pops Concert will take place. All events have free admission. Visit the Hayes School of Music Performance Calendar for details and updates on all events.
Boone Docs Film Festival
The annual Boone Docs Film Festival hosted by High Country Humanities and the University Forum Speaker Series, will take place from February 27 – 28 at Appalachian Theatre on King St. Many of the films have topics that relate to climate change, and some focus specifically on Hurricane Helene and resilience in the face of climate disaster. To learn more about the festival, visit the Appalachian Theatre website.
Lab iMPACTLY Nonprofit Workshop
The Department of Government & Justice Studies is collaborating with the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning for Student Success to host the Lab iMPACTLY Nonprofit Workshop. This event invites local nonprofit professionals and interested individuals to come and equip themselves with the tools, strategies, and insights needed to enhance their impact securing and managing grants. The workshops will take place on Thursday, April 9 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in PSU 201A. Tickets can be purchased online.
67th Boyles Distinguished Lecture Series
The Walker College of Business will be hosting the 67th Boyles Distinguished Lecture on Friday, March 27, starting at 11:00 a.m. in Grandview Ballroom. The lecture will feature Jim F. Burr ’89, Co-Head of Global Financial Services at Carlyle. Burr graduated with a BS in business administration from Appalachian State before entering the industry and joining Carlyle in 2008.
In the Honors Spotlight
Honors students travel to San Diego for the 2025 National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference
Top photo depicts a view of San Diego, California at night. Submitted by Em Acuña.
Em Acuña, editor of the Honors Wednesday Memo (HWM), and Seleen Al Horani, a departmental honors student in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, traveled to attend the 2025 National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) conference held November 6-9, 2025, in San Diego, California Both Al Horani and Acuna were invited to attend with waived registration fees thanks to their involvement as associate editors for NCHC’s Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity (UReCA!).
To read more about Al Horani and Acuña’s time at NCHC, click here to read the full story.
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!