BOONE, N.C. — Four first-year students at Appalachian State University have been named Dr. Willie C. Fleming Scholars, awarded full tuition for up to eight semesters.

The Fleming Scholarship program, designed to support students from underrepresented populations, was established to honor Dr. Willie C. Fleming ’80 ’84, Appalachian’s chief diversity officer.

Fleming Scholars are selected based on their desire to promote cultural diversity. In addition to covering full in-state tuition and fees, the scholarship provides mentorship by alumni, the opportunity to participate in inclusivity-focused events, and networking and team building within each cohort of recipients.

Fleming said academic excellence is also a key qualifier for the applicants, and as members of the Appalachian Community, they are called on to speak publicly and assume the responsibility of leadership, scholarship and community involvement.

“We are so pleased to welcome this remarkable group of students to Appalachian,” he said. “The mentorship they receive from our alumni during their time here will be an important part of their Appalachian Experience. These relationships have profound and enduring impact on both the students and the mentors.”

In the 1980s, Fleming served as Appalachian’s director of minority affairs, which is known today as director of multicultural student development. He founded the Appalachian Gospel Choir and the Black Student Association and is a founding member of the Black Faculty and Staff Association. Fleming was also instrumental in bringing black Greek life to the university.

The 2019–20 Dr. Willie C. Fleming Scholarship recipients:

Maya Renter

Smithfield, South Carolina

Renter is a graduate of Smithfield-Selma High School. She plans to major in psychology at Appalachian.

Sarah Spencer

Edenton, North Carolina

Spencer is a graduate of the Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies, where she was a senior class officer and a North Carolina Scholar. While in high school, Spencer volunteered at the local hospital and at the local chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Spencer plans to major in chemistry with a concentration in forensic science.

Jaden Tuitt

Charlotte, North Carolina

Tuitt is a graduate of Olympic High School, where she was vice president of the Junior Leadership Society, a leader of the Young Black Leadership Alliance and co-founder of the kindness initiative “Project Friend XO.” She plans to major in health care management at Appalachian.

Jenna Woods

Raleigh, North Carolina

Woods is a graduate of Leeville Road High School, where she was a North Carolina Scholar. At Appalachian, she plans to major in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry.

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4 Fleming Scholars join Appalachian’s newest students

Sep. 18, 2018

First-year students Bailey Gardin, Hudson Miller, Cece Ramseur and Ashelyn Stevens are the recipients of Appalachian’s Dr. Willie C. Fleming Scholarship, which covers the students’ full in-state tuition and fees.

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About the Dr. Willie C. Fleming Scholarship

The Dr. Willie C. Fleming Scholarship is designed to support students from underrepresented populations, with selection based on their desire to promote cultural diversity. In addition to covering full in-state tuition and fees, the renewable scholarship provides mentorship by alumni, the opportunity to participate in inclusivity-focused events, and networking and team building within each cohort of recipients. It was established to honor Dr. Willie C. Fleming ’80 ’84, who founded the Appalachian Gospel Choir and the Black Student Association, was a founding member of the Black Faculty and Staff Association and was also instrumental in bringing black Greek life to the university. Learn more

About Scholarships at App State

Appalachian State University offers students the opportunity to receive a world-class education at an affordable rate, with an average of $25 million awarded to incoming, current and transfer students each year based on need, as well as academic and athletic achievement. On average, about $4.9 million in outside aid is awarded to App State students annually. App State’s Office of Student Financial Aid and University Scholarships assists students in learning about and applying for these university scholarship opportunities and also shares information about non-App State scholarships. Learn more at https://scholarships.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, cost-effective education. 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.