BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University senior Lauren Moody, of Marietta, Georgia, has been recognized for outstanding leadership and service — she is the recipient of a 2020 Community Impact Student Award from North Carolina Campus Compact, a statewide network of colleges and universities committed to community engagement.

One student leader at each of the network’s member schools was honored with the award, which recognizes students with a deep commitment to community involvement and the ability to inspire their peers. NC Campus Compact honored the recipients during a virtual awards ceremony in November.

Moody, who is among 19 North Carolina students named an award winner for 2020, is pursuing an individual designed interdisciplinary studies major with a concentration in community development. The senior has been deeply involved with the Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT) office during her time at App State.

Macki Snyder, ACT assistant director for leadership and outreach, nominated Moody for the award.

“Lauren is consistently looking for ways to improve ACT — how it operationalizes its mission; how it works with community partners; the goals and logistics of the events we organize and execute; and how we recruit, select, train and retain student leaders,” Snyder said.

Moody has served on the planning committees for App State’s Dance Marathon and MLK Challenge, as well as for voter engagement events. She has also served as a service adviser and mentor for the Western Youth Network, a nonprofit offering after-school services for at-risk youth in the Boone area.

Having served on the Dance Marathon planning committee for three years, Moody has contributed to and led fundraising efforts totaling more than $147,460 for two partners in the local community. Additionally, as a member of the 2019–20 ACT leadership team, Moody led approximately 35 of her peers in planning and executing team meetings and team development.

Moody said she believes it is important for people to engage in service because it brings individuals closer to their communities.

“Service gives you the opportunity to better understand the issues that are facing your community and how you can work alongside your community to be stronger together. Without service work, I think it’s incredibly easy to get stuck in your own bubble and forget about the people that you share a place with. Service work gives us the opportunity to develop deeper empathy and connections with those around us,” she said.

In regard to her Community Impact Student Award, Moody said, “I’m incredibly honored to be recognized for the work I’ve done since being at Appalachian, but this is an award that also belongs to everyone I’ve had the opportunity to work with and learn from. I wouldn’t have the understanding of service and community I do today had I not had the opportunities I’ve had with ACT.”

After graduating from App State, Moody hopes to work in the nonprofit sector. She has also applied for a Fulbright to teach English in Malaysia in the 2021–22 academic year.

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Interdisciplinary Studies (BA) – Individually Designed

This degree lets you assemble courses from two or more disciplines and make connections among them. It is especially effective for students interested in emerging fields or who want to remain open to changing career plans.

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Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT)

Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT) provides service experiences as opportunities to connect and engage with others to build authentic relationships, stimulate critical thinking and skill building, and recognize individual impact and responsibility to the local and global community. ACT partners with over 160 local nonprofits. Initiatives include blood drives, hunger and homeless awareness events, fundraising for local charities and alternative service experiences.

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About the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies

The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in four program areas: Appalachian studies; gender, women’s and sexuality studies; global studies; and interdisciplinary studies. The department is also home to Watauga Residential College, an interdisciplinary, alternative general education program. The department promotes creative and imaginative engagement through a cross-disciplinary investigation of complex systems and problems. Learn more at https://interdisciplinary.appstate.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About the Division of Student Affairs

The Division of Student Affairs at Appalachian State University is committed to the development of lifelong learners and leaders by engaging and challenging students within a culture of care and inclusion. The division consists of 16 units that offer activities and services to help students develop more fully by becoming global learners, fostering healthy relationships, appreciating diversity and different perspectives, understanding community responsibility, enhancing self-awareness, developing autonomy and living ethically. These units include the Career Development Center, Campus Activities, Office of Community-Engaged Leadership, Wellness and Prevention Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Service, Parent and Family Services, University Housing, Student Conduct, University Recreation, Intercultural Student Affairs, Student Legal Clinic and Off-Campus Student Services, Electronic Student Services, Child Development Center, and Staff Development and Strategic Initiatives. Learn more at https://studentaffairs.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.