Graduate School & Research

The results are in, Catamounts: we surpassed last year's totals! Your generosity will help make one day possible for so many students at Western. 

We are blown away by your response and generosity (again) this year during One Day for Western! And you helped us Fill the Western Sky by turning the map purple: we secured gifts from 49 of 50 states! 

Check out some highlights of our results below and visit oneday.wcu.edu for even more information about the impact of your giving. Go Cats!

Hey, Catamounts! You may have received an email from GiveCampus this morning that re-sent our "Wave the royal banner high" post featuring our Pride of the Mountains Marching Band and asking you to participate in One Day for Western. Our partners at GiveCampus let us know this was just a bug in the system that affected a few campaigns that have already ended, so no cause for alarm. We received your gift and appreciate your generosity! Our team is still working hard to share finalized totals in the coming days, so we'll provide a (real) update soon.

In the interim, we hope you're having a great week and send our gratitude to members of Catamount nation far and wide!

Gratefully,

Rebekah B. Cheney

Director of Annual Giving 

What a day (and then some), Catamounts! Thank you to every single person who helped make one day possible for our students. Whether you made a gift, shared our message, cheered us on, or did all three - your contributions matter and impacted our success this year.

We will be finalizing our totals in the coming days and are excited to report more on the impact of your generosity. Until then, please know that we are incredibly grateful for your support!

Go Cats! 

Warmly,

Rebekah B. Cheney 

Director of Annual Giving

You are still showing up, Catamounts! 

With just a few hours left, we are nearly 90% to our goal. We are so close, and your advocacy is making a huge difference.

We are also making great progress on turning the map purple to Fill the Western Sky! We still are looking for gifts from:

• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Minnesota
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Vermont

Do you know someone in any of these states? Consider asking them to make a gift before 5 p.m. to help us Fill the Western Sky.

Your generosity and advocacy are helping make one day possible. We're almost to the finish line... GO CATS!

Yesterday's special live edition of Western Wednesday focused on One Day for Western! Here's a clip of three current students who talk about their hopes for the future.

If you didn't catch our special LIVE Western Wednesday podcast, you can rewatch the whole show here! James, Ben and Stacey chat with students, donors, and staff about programs and dreams that are worth investing in. 

Catamounts: there's still time to make one day possible. We're still reaching for the biggest giving day goal we've ever aimed for, and we know we can accomplish it with your help! Beyond making a gift, the best way you can help is to share our message with your networks and remind your fellow Catamounts to give and share, too! We'll keep counting until 5 p.m. Thursday, so keep advocating for our incredible programs and students. GO CATS!

Hear directly from students, faculty and staff about One Day for Western and why it matters during this special broadcast. Watch the live podcast here!

Meet Ezri, another WCU graduate student featured in our One Day for Western video. 

She shared, “I started my journey at Western in 2019 and decided to continue my journey here in purusing my Masters degree. Picking Western was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Western has always provided me everything I’ve needed along my journey here with a smiling face. This is a school that truly cares about and gives back to its students. Now it’s time to give back to Western! Let’s give together this April 3rd for One Day For Western!” 

Please consider giving today to support students like Ezri. Go Cats!

With about nine hours left, we are over 40% to our goal. Let's keep going, Catamount nation!

We still want to turn the map purple and Fill the Western Sky! If you know Catamounts in the following states, give them a shout:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Vermont
• West Virginia

Check out some photos from our student event: One Day of Thankfulness... you may even receive a handwritten note from a student in the coming weeks!

We're 40% to our donor goal... let's keep it up! GO CATS!

Meet Alexis, a WCU graduate student featured in our One Day for Western video. 

"Western Carolina has allowed me to continue my passion of impacting the lives of college students. One Day for Western allows students like me to continue our passion to lead, educate, and advise change in the lives of those coming after us." 

Your support of students like Alexis today impacts future generations of Catamounts. Will you make a gift today?

Catamount nation, this is what happens when we come together... 

Last year, One Day for Western donors supported countless projects and programs to make one day possible for Catamounts. Remember how the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band was preparing to travel to Dublin, Ireland for their first international trip? One Day for Western donors played a critical role in these students' experience.

What cause (or causes) will you support this year as we work to fill the Western sky? Help us turn the map purple by encouraging donors from every state to support WCU today.

Video courtsey of Dean George H. Brown; Kilkenny Castle, March 14, 2024.

One Day for Western exists because of our AMAZING students... join the fun by making your gift or sharing on social media today!

Catamounts, we want to turn the map purple on April 3. We need at least one donor from all 50 states to fill the Western sky, so reach out to Catamounts (and friends of Catamount nation) far and wide! After all, what's more beautiful than a sky full of purple?

States we've already received gifts from are North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Texas, Indiana, Colorado, and Hawaii. Only 38 to go!

One Day for Western is an opportunity for you to show your support and commitment to the Graduate School and Research at WCU. Your gifts to the Graduate School and Research Dean's Fund will help increase the value and/or number of Graduate Excellence Awards and also continue the legacy of recognizing deserving faculty members through the Curtis W. Wood Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring. 

Securing additional resources would enable the Graduate School to create more scholarships and increase the size of awards currently offered. This also ensures that WCU can recruit the highest quality of candidates, elevating the entire Graduate School.

Graduate students who are mentored likely have a higher career trajectory. Additionally, students who have strong relationships with their graduate advisor are more likely to support WCU’s graduate programs in the future. While faculty who gravitate to mentoring are not solely motivated by recognition, it does go a long way in conveying appreciation. Growing support for the Curtis Wood Mentoring Award will allow us to continue honoring faculty’s commitment to WCU and its students for years to come.

Join us on One Day for Western and make a direct impact on our students and their experience at WCU. Our goal is for 25 donors to make a gift on April 3, but we can only get there with your help!