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Transitioning from her service in the Navy to higher education, Amy Sain worked as a Master-at-Arms, or MP, at the Naval Air Station Oceana. Now she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in biology as part of her path to achieve her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian.

As America celebrates Veterans Day, several veteran students are making their impact at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ. Their years of service provide a depth of experience to the Bear community, and their lives enrich the communities in which they live.

The men’s lacrosse team makes a historic run to the national championship game in spring 2021 season.

Professor Taylor Newton, Ph.D., had been approved to spend a year as a visiting researcher at the University of Birmingham before the pandemic. Instead, she used the time to address vaccine hesitancy in Catawba County and throughout the state.

Andrea Castillo, a junior nursing student, is fulfilling a dream for herself and her parents by being the first in her family to attend college. Her Cherokee Indian and Mexican heritage fuels her passion in pursuing her degree.

With a love for space travel and NASA, senior Madeline Schmidt spent 10 weeks of her summer as a NASA intern – leading to her completely changing the way she sees assignments and future job prospects.

With a passion for traveling, alumna Chrissy Elliott '96 has been to 55 countries, 47 states and five continents in the last 25 years – and has no plans of slowing down.

The university recently received multiple grants totaling $550,000 thanks to the Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trusts of Concord, North Carolina, in support of continued efforts to improve the on-campus experience for students, faculty, staff and community members through new construction and renovations.

Some people don’t know when or from where their next meal is going to come. Food deserts exist where people may not have the financial means to acquire food or access to grocery stores with fresh food they can afford.

As a personal trainer and student in the Master of Divinity program at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Candice Clark is helping others achieve new levels of wellness—not just physically, but spiritually as well. 

As a native of American Samoa, Sharon Ah Ping grew up seeing the effects of improper nutrition among friends, family members and the community at large. That’s what led her to the dietetic internship program at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.

Tynan O’Connor’s life is filled with challenges that motivate him every day to be better than the day before. As a first-generation college student, he knows what it’s like to overcome obstacles in his relentless pursuit of an education, and he draws inspiration from his parents’ hardships.