BOONE, N.C. — Tau Sigma National Honor Society has awarded $9,000 in scholarships to three transfer students at Appalachian State University. The academic honor society recognizes and promotes the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students.

The recipients — Nolan McDaniel, of Lake Lure; Holly Parsons, of Newton; and Gretchen Synk, of Osprey, Florida — are officers in the Gamma Nu Chapter of Tau Sigma at Appalachian.

“These scholarship awards acknowledge the broad range of excellence from these students. They have demonstrated a serious commitment to academics, our campus community and the community beyond Appalachian,” said Matt Huntanar, coordinator of Jump Start Appalachian — a transfer student transition and support program — and adviser for Appalachian’s Gamma Nu Chapter.

Synk, who received a $4,000 scholarship, is a senior communication sciences and disorders major and serves as vice president of Gamma Nu. She transferred to Appalachian from State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

Synk said she plans to use her award toward tuition and study abroad.

Parsons, a senior exercise science major, was awarded a $2,500 scholarship. She transferred to Appalachian from North Carolina State University and is president of Gamma Nu.

Parsons, who is on track to graduate from Appalachian in May, said she plans to use her award toward graduate school.

McDaniel, a senior exercise science major and treasurer of Appalachian’s Gamma Nu, received a $2,500 scholarship. He transferred to Appalachian from McDowell Technical Community College in Marion.

McDaniel is also on schedule to graduate alongside Parsons in May. He said he plans to attend graduate school and will use his award toward tuition for his final semester at Appalachian.

The criteria for the Tau Sigma scholarships include academic excellence, as well as demonstrated service to the local chapter, university and the community.

Transfer students are eligible to join Tau Sigma by earning a 3.5 GPA or higher in their first full-time semester at Appalachian. Eligible students must also transfer to the university with a minimum of 24 transferable credits.

Each year, about 25 percent of Appalachian’s incoming transfer students qualify to join Tau Sigma, Huntanar said. Approximately 100 students accept the invitation to join and are inducted in the spring semester, he added.

For more information about Tau Sigma at Appalachian, visit https://tausigma.appstate.edu. For more information about the Tau Sigma National Honor Society, visit http://www.tausigmanhs.org.

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About Transfer Admissions and Engagement

Transfer Admissions and Engagement at Appalachian State University supports students through all stages of their transfer journey, including admission counseling and pretransfer advising, credit evaluation, transitional assistance as they begin at App State and through involvement and retention efforts during their App State education. The office serves undergraduate transfer students studying on the main campus in Boone as well as App State Online students who complete their classes fully online or at an off-site location. The services and resources provided by Transfer Admissions and Engagement ensure the university’s transfer student population finds academic and social success at App State. Learn more at https://transfer.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.