Pictured, from left to right, Appalachian transfer students Holly Parson, Gretchen Synk and Nolan McDaniel are 2018 Tau Sigma Scholarship recipients and current officers in Appalachian’s Gamma Nu Chapter of Tau Sigma. Photo submitted
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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For transfer students, Appalachian State University offers a seamless transition and a community dedicated to their success
About the Office of Transfer Services
Appalachian State University’s Office of Transfer Services provides the knowledge and resources necessary to empower students through their Appalachian journey by advocating and collaborating to build the bridges necessary for student transition, integration and success. The office provides services for credit evaluation and credit acquisition, transfer advising, mentoring, transitional support, engagement and retention. Recognizing the diversity of transfer students and the wide spectrum of questions and needs, the office supports students’ transition and acclimation to Appalachian through various programming, technology and dedicated customer service support. Learn more at https://transfer.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
