Mountaineers take many paths after graduation. Their experiences at Appalachian State University help them hit the ground running.
According to App State’s Career Development Center, 86% of 2020–21 undergraduate and graduate alumni are employed and/or enrolled in continuing higher education programs within one year of graduation.* Additionally, over the past few years approximately 30% of each class of App State undergraduate alumni has gone on to pursue additional higher education.
Employers and graduate schools alike welcome App State graduates for many of the same reasons: They are driven, innovative, well prepared and possess a strong work ethic.
Students work alongside faculty mentors in classroom, laboratory and fieldwork settings, engaging in research experiences that equip them with the skills and know-how to succeed in graduate school or as a new hire. Through this work, students collect and analyze data firsthand and present their findings to peers and professionals in their field through regional, national and even international conferences.
In the 2020–21 academic year, 7,679 students earned academic credit for an internship, practicum, clinical experience or student teaching at one of 1,528 different in-person and virtual sites, gaining real-world work experience in the process.
*Tracking rate on all 2020–21 graduates: 74.5%
Success stories
Learn about the success of some of App State's recent graduates:
College of Fine and Applied Arts
July 21, 2022
As a dancer and choreographer, an artist and a social justice advocate, App State’s Juliet Irving ’19 has a blended perspective in her work as a freelance multimedia designer.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
May 31, 2022
Daniel Gajda ’20 has turned his passion into a career, working as a professional freelance photographer after earning his B.S. in commercial photography from App State. He was able to put his skills to practice in summer 2021, photographing Tokyo’s Sport Climbing Olympics.
Walker College of Business
February 14, 2022
Mountaineer alumnus Mitch Purgason ’15 stitches his way to award-winning success, designing custom clothing for professional athletes, executives and fashion influencers.
College of Arts and Sciences
September 13, 2021
As a senior at App State, Carter Blue ’20 delved into intimate partner violence in her senior thesis. Now this honors graduate applies her B.S. in sociology-social inequities to advocate for domestic violence survivors at OASIS in Watauga and Avery counties.
Walker College of Business
June 22, 2021
Christian Torres-Trujillo ’20 landed the first job of his “dream career” — a digital marketing specialist in pay-per-click (PPC) marketing with TreeHaus Marketing LLC.
College of Arts and Sciences
April 28, 2021
App State’s Emily Hatem ’19 started her career with AmeriCorps and will soon head to graduate school with important lessons learned — including how to work with young people and how to stay flexible and adaptable.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
January 21, 2021
As a news producer at Spectrum News 1 in Louisville, Kentucky, App State alumnus John Park ’20 uses the skills he learned at App State to create news programs.
College of Arts and Sciences
November 24, 2020
Harrison Esterly ’19 said his undergraduate experience at App State prepared him for success in the field of chemistry. Now a research technician at UNC-Chapel Hill, he is continuing a project he began at App State — one that could yield cost savings for storing and transporting life-saving medications.
Beaver College of Health Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
May 7, 2020
Feeling called to help, Appalachian alumna Kim McMillan ’17 responds to the need in New York City during the pandemic. “As a young, experienced ICU nurse with no medical history and no family depending on me in Colorado, I felt called to come and help,” she said.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
January 24, 2020
Appalachian alumna Glenn Ramey ’19 worked as a student part time for three years at the university’s Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. She now applies her experience and education to her position at the Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
October 30, 2019
Kenzie Storrier is pursuing a master’s degree at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter, one of the country’s premier creative advertising graduate programs.
College of Arts and Sciences
November 8, 2019
After graduation, Andrés Rosa ’19 joined the Peace Corps in Peru, where he is using his B.A. in psychology to help young people overcome challenges and build self-esteem.
College of Arts and Sciences
November 1, 2019
App State grad Jake Dorsett’s undergraduate research on the San Andreas Fault in California may alter predictions about the next Los Angeles area earthquake.
College of Arts and Sciences
October 21, 2019
The 2017 graduate of App State geology program received fully funded offers from multiple schools upon graduation.
College of Arts and Sciences
October 21, 2019
Appalachian alumna Lindsay Bookout ’16, a self-professed “grammar nerd,” uses her English-professional writing degree to save court transcripts from spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Her next goal? Attend law school to study animal and environmental law.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
August 22, 2019
Maleek Loyd ’18 began his professional career while still a student at Appalachian, directing and editing productions for real-world projects.
College of Arts and Sciences
August 2, 2019
Martin, a 2018 graduate of Appalachian’s B.S. in English, secondary education program, said she became an educator “to change the lives of those who have odds stacked against them.”
College of Arts and Sciences
July 11, 2019
Plummer, who works as a part-time APDP cadet on campus, balances her academic and athletic career as a graduate student in Appalachian’s MPA program.
College of Arts and Sciences
July 1, 2019
Appalachian’s Emily Sedlacek ’19 finds new ways to express herself — and view the world.
Walker College of Business
April 3, 2019
Now a risk analyst, Shelby Weatherman ’18 said she gained professional development, off-campus experiential learning and faculty/staff encouragement through the center.
Walker College of Business
April 1, 2019
Alumnus Chris Mahan ’17, who holds a BSBA in management from Appalachian, is front and center at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.
College of Arts and Sciences
March 29, 2019
The experience alumnus Chris Waldon ’16 ’18 had in Appalachian’s Honors College and as a Chancellor’s Scholar inspired his path to a career with IBM.
College of Arts and Sciences
Walker College of Business
March 18, 2019
Appalachian alumnus Mark Janke ’18 says he enjoys the variety in his job with National General Insurance — “plus, the people I work with are fun and supportive.”
Walker College of Business
March 18, 2019
As a staff accountant for SkyLine, alumnus Luke Eggers’ satisfaction with his job goes beyond the numbers.
February 12, 2019
Campbell credits Appalachian’s music industry studies program for his ability to handle a plethora of tasks — from running sound at sporting events to recording concerts — as an audiovisual technician at Campbell University.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
January 18, 2019
At Appalachian, Ryan Gillespie ’17 discovered a niche that blends his love of biking with his knowledge of sustainability initiatives — the electric bike. Now he owns Sol Mobil, an electric bike sales and service shop in Winston-Salem.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
December 17, 2018
Rogers pursues sustainability in apparel design through her career at Carter’s/OshKosh B’Gosh.
College of Arts and Sciences
November 14, 2018
Appalachian applied physics grad Nykesha Fyffe plans to improve lives and solve problems of the future.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
November 14, 2018
Patrick Sullivan ’16 finds that his public relations concentration in communication plays a big role in his career path, regardless of his job title.
October 19, 2018
While a student at Appalachian State University, Graham Sloboda ’17 learned to wear many hats: musician, producer, engineer and businessman. Now a freelance audio engineer in New York City, he’s still wearing them.
College of Arts and Sciences
July 13, 2018
Adam Moore, who holds a B.A. in history with a concentration in social studies education from Appalachian, will begin his teaching career this fall at his alma mater, East Forsyth High School.
College of Arts and Sciences
June 13, 2018
Appalachian alumnae Cala Castleberry and Hayley Wynn put the hands-on training and education they received in Appalachian’s Anthropology (BS) – Archaeology degree program to use during back-to-back National Park Service internships.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
June 8, 2018
A public relations major with triple minors, Appalachian alumna Kiley Coster stresses the importance of being involved as she prepares for graduate school at the University of Tennessee in pursuit of a career in student affairs.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
May 25, 2018
A studio art major, Iris was one of just 10 graduating art students nationwide to receive the prestigious Windgate Fellowship from the Center for Craft in Asheville. She is using the $15,000 award to purchase quilting equipment to support her textile work.
College of Arts and Sciences
April 30, 2018
A graduate of Appalachian’s Psychology (BS) – Business degree program, Rosemary Pierce-Messick now works for a startup in India focused on reducing pollution and poverty by improving the public transport system.
College of Arts and Sciences
April 16, 2018
As a functional analyst with CGI, Appalachian State University alumna Nadine Lambert ’17 gets to solve puzzles every day.
College of Arts and Sciences
Honors College
April 12, 2018
J. Tyler Ramsey ’16 became a postbaccalaureate fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. He was lead researcher for an NIEHS study indicating potential harms of essential oils, which gained worldwide media attention in early 2018.
Beaver College of Health Sciences
Honors College
April 10, 2018
Aakriti Agrawal ’17 reflects on how her Appalachian Experience prepared her for Duke University School of Medicine’s physical therapy program.
College of Arts and Sciences
March 23, 2018
Appalachian graduate Courtney Bradway finds success on Capitol Hill using her political science degrees.
Walker College of Business
Honors College
February 23, 2018
Accounting major Nicholas Gilliam reflects on how Appalachian set him up for success as a graduate student at University of Notre Dame.
Reich College of Education
February 23, 2018
Chandler teaches eighth-grade English/Language Arts at West Alexander Middle School in Taylorsville. He’s also authored a young adult novel, which he uses in his teaching.
College of Fine and Applied Arts
July 14, 2017
Donohue’s summer internship after her junior year led to full-time employment with South Carolina’s Wikoff Color Corporation by the time she finished her degree in graphics arts and imaging technology.
Reich College of Education
July 6, 2017
After majoring in career and technical education, Joseph Gannon ’16 secured a teaching position in Montana. He teaches middle school, as well as high school shop/woodworking, metalworking, construction and CAD/drafting. He is also an assistant wrestling coach.
College of Arts and Sciences
October 3, 2017
Goldberger had no trouble securing job offers by the time she finished her bachelor’s degree in fermentation sciences.
Walker College of Business
November 21, 2017
Marketing major Khoury has been accepted into the sales associate program at Cisco, learning the company’s latest technology advancements and the most effective ways to sell them to customers.
Beaver College of Health Sciences
September 19, 2017
After majoring in public health, Ledford is now the positive parenting implementation coordinator at AppHealthCare, the local county health department.
January 25, 2018
Jazz trombonist Grant Smith ’16 takes a bite of the Big Apple’s jazz scene while pursuing a graduate degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.
College of Arts and Sciences
August 5, 2016
As an English major, Whitehead won Appalachian’s Truman Capote Literary Trust Award in Creative Writing. Now, he’s in the Master of Fine Arts program at McNeese State University.
