Appalachian tracks where its graduates go, notes high success rate
By Linda Coutant
Whether graduates seek immediate employment or an advanced degree, their experience at Appalachian State University gets them where they want to go at a high rate of success.
According to Appalachian’s Career Development Center, 86 percent of 2015-16 undergraduate students and 93 percent of graduate students were either employed or enrolled in postsecondary education within a year of graduation. *
The first destination data was collected up to one year following graduation using a variety of sources, said Dr. Susan McCracken, director of career development and economic engagement. These sources included a senior survey, the National Student Clearinghouse that tracks postsecondary enrollment, LinkedIn professional networking service, the university’s Alumni Affairs office and faculty surveys.
Employers and graduate schools welcome Appalachian graduates for many of the same reasons, according to McCracken: they are driven, well prepared and possess a strong work ethic.
“I also believe that the research experiences our students have working directly with faculty in laboratories and in the field — collecting and analyzing data firsthand, and then presenting their findings to faculty, graduate students, professionals in that field and peers — prepares them to hit the ground running in a graduate program, or as a new hire,” McCracken said.
Also, more than 7,600 students in 2017-18 earned academic credit for an internship, practicum, clinical experience or student teaching, which gave them on-site work experience.
* With a tracking rate of 86 percent undergraduate and 71 percent graduate students. Data collection was a collaborative effort among the university’s Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning, degree-granting colleges and Division of University Advancement.
Success stories
Learn about the success of some of Appalachian’s recent graduates:
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.
Read more alumni profiles on Appalachian’s degree webpages.
