Throughout the day yesterday, students and the campus community took the time to express their appreciation for everyone who gave their support on Appalachian State Giving Day by writing thank-you notes and snapping photos — like this one, taken by Kyla Willoughby in University Communications — to share with the many Mountaineers who participated from near and far.
Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: March 27, 2026
Yesterday, our Mountaineer community came together to celebrate and support what they love most about Appalachian State University during our 13th annual Appalachian State Giving Day. More than 3,000 alumni, students, faculty, staff, university leaders, parents and friends from near and far raised more than $2.7 million — a record amount — for our university! It was a wonderful celebration of Mountaineer pride that will have lasting impact, and you can watch a video that captures the spirit of the day here. By supporting programs that spark careers, funds that ensure students can become successful App State graduates, or opportunities to participate in life-changing experiences, these gifts are powerful votes of confidence in our collective future.
There are countless stories of the lasting impact Mountaineers make in communities far and wide, and it’s my pleasure to share them at every opportunity. Today, I’ll highlight a few more examples:
- On Wednesday, our youngest Mountaineers from the fifth grade class of the Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork — the lab school in Walkertown operated by App State as part of the UNC System Laboratory Schools Initiative — visited our Boone campus. During their visit, they enjoyed lunch with Chief of Staff Dawn Antonucci, who presented each student with a book about the life of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, whom they have been studying in school. The students were very excited to receive these gifts, and it’s always a delight when we can visit with these young Mountaineers and hear them talk about their dreams for the future.
- Last month, Cadet Jake Cannon, a member of Appalachian State University’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program and a senior management major, joined an elite group of the nation’s top 5% of cadets to earn the United States Army Cadet Command George C. Marshall Award for his leadership, academic excellence, physical fitness and overall officer potential. Jake represents the drive for achievement and success shared by many of our students, and we’re proud to support him — as well as the 1,445 military-affiliated students enrolled at App State, including 274 veterans, 128 active-duty service members, 74 spouses and 969 military dependents — through a variety of services designed to support this student population.
App State’s designation as a 2026–27 Military Friendly® School for the 17th consecutive year — including our fourth consecutive top 10 ranking — speaks to our commitment to service members and their families. On behalf of App State, I want to express our gratitude to our military community for their immeasurable sacrifices for our nation, and I thank our campus community for being a valued university they can count on.
- This week, the Department of Theatre and Dance, under the direction of assistant professor of dance studies Chris Yon, has been performing featured works choreographed by faculty and students during the Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble — one of the department’s two major dance events held each year for the campus and greater community. It’s a beautiful showcase of the breadth of talent and experience across the discipline of dance, and performances continue through Sunday afternoon. I hope you’ll consider attending!
- And, 1997 graduate Dexter Coakley has earned a well-deserved honor with his selection into the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame. Dexter earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communications and played football for the Mountaineers before moving on to a successful NFL career. He was inducted into the App State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and his jersey — number 32 — is one of the five retired by our Football program. We’re so pleased to see him recognized as a leader whose achievements on the field and impact beyond the game have left an enduring legacy. Congratulations!
Our commitment to academic excellence and student success is what drew me to App State, and I consider it my privilege to champion this incredible university. Thank you to everyone who participated in our Day of Giving, a huge thank you to our entire Mountaineer community for everything you do to make this such a special place, and Go APP!
Heather Norris
Chancellor
Clockwise, from top left: App State senior management major and ROTC Cadet Jake Cannon earned the United States Army Cadet Command George C. Marshall Award; Elsie Currie, center, a senior dance studies major in the Department of Theatre and Dance, laughs with dancers during rehearsals of a piece she choreographed and performed during this year’s Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble; it was my pleasure to join App State alumnus Jim Burr ’89, Co-Head of Global Financial Services at Carlyle, for the Walker College of Business’ 67th Boyles Lecture today — we appreciate him taking the time to share his insights on career success with our students; and App State’s youngest Mountaineers from the Academy at Middle Fork took time to pose for a photo during their visit to the Boone campus this week. Thank you to professor of military science and department Chair Lt. Col. Zach Jones and Kyla Willoughby in University Communications for these photos.
