Heather Canipe ’08 ’10, director of student programs for Western Youth Network (WYN). Photo submitted
BOONE, N.C. — An experience as a student volunteer while at Appalachian State University sparked a career path for Heather Canipe ’08 ’10.
As part of a community service requirement when she was a student, Canipe volunteered as a tutor at Western Youth Network (WYN) Inc., a Boone-based nonprofit organization investing in the lives of children and adolescents to build a better future and stronger community in the High Country.
“After completing my required work hours, I continued tutoring with WYN because it was a wonderful experience and I really believed in what the program was doing,” Canipe said.
She graduated summa cum laude from the university with a Bachelor in Social Work in 2008 and continued her education at Appalachian, completing her Master of Social Work in 2010. She is now the director of student programs at WYN.
WYN provides an after-school program for fifth- through eighth-grade students that includes academic tutoring, building interpersonal and life skills, physical activity and healthy snacks. The organization also has a drug prevention initiative, summer day camps and a mentorship program.
“I do the broad picture work for our after-school and summer programs,” Canipe said. “I coordinate the volunteers and interns, maintain grant requirements, handle paperwork and do whatever else is needed to keep our programs running smoothly.”
Canipe said she enjoys the balance between office work and client interaction: “I can create and enjoy meaningful relationships with the kids as well as maintain the process by which the programs they enjoy exist.”
In her role at WYN, Canipe has the opportunity to maintain professional relationships with some of her former professors, as the local nonprofit organization offers volunteer and internship opportunities to many students in the Department of Social Work.
Canipe said she had many outstanding professors in the department who were willing and able to guide her, including Dr. Kellie Reed Ashcraft, Dr. Tiffany Christian and Dr. Julie Sprinkle Hill ’98, who formerly taught at Appalachian.
“Working at WYN is deep and meaningful work,” she shared. “I see the smiles on the children’s faces daily and I know how powerful it is to have positive and reliable role models. I know what I do makes a difference — not only in the lives of the children we serve, but to their families and the greater community.”
What do you think?
Share your feedback on this story.
About the Department of Social Work
The Department of Social Work in Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences offers both undergraduate and graduate programs, and is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The undergraduate social work program prepares students for generalist social work practice, and graduates can be found in social service agencies, hospitals, schools, hospices, criminal justice systems and mental health facilities. The graduate program teaches students advanced clinical skills for their work as social service managers and leaders, or clinicians who provide services to individuals, families and communities. Learn more at https://socialwork.appstate.edu.
About the Beaver College of Health Sciences
Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), opened in 2010, is transforming the health and quality of life for the communities it serves through interprofessional collaboration and innovation in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical outreach. The college enrolls more than 3,600 students and offers 10 undergraduate degree programs, nine graduate degree programs and four certificates across six departments: Nursing, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Public Health and Exercise Science, Recreation Management and Physical Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Social Work. The college’s academic programs are located in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s main campus and the Levine Hall of Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, 203,000-square-foot facility that is the cornerstone of Boone’s Wellness District. In addition, the college supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and has collaborative partnerships with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program, UNC Health Appalachian and numerous other health agencies. Learn more at https://healthsciences.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.
![App State to offer AI concentration in master’s programs [faculty featured]](/_images/_posts/2025/04/ai-concentration-600x400.jpg)
