BOONE, N.C. — Eleven undergraduate students at Appalachian State University — including three student veterans and five student-athletes — have received spring 2021 scholarships supported by a gift from Raleigh-based MAKO Medical Laboratories. Each scholarship was awarded based on the student’s financial need and/or academic merit.

The scholarship recipients are:

• Daryn Armstrong, a junior biology major from Cary and a member of the volleyball team.
• Brooke Bigott, a junior exercise science major from Katy, Texas, and a member of the women’s basketball team.
• Caitlyn Brown, a first-year biology major from Charlotte.
• Gable Dershem '21, a recent graduate of App State who earned his B.S. in exercise science with a minor in psychology in May. While at App State, Dershem, of Clayton, was a member of the men’s cross-country and track and field teams.
• Matthew Dofflemyer, a student veteran and senior building sciences-construction management major from Port Republic, Virginia.
• Jacob Hense, a student veteran and junior political science major from Jackson, Mississippi.
• Lauryn Holcomb, a student veteran and sophomore public health major from Urbana, Ohio.
• Emma McGibany, a sophomore Honors College student from Tallahassee, Florida, who is majoring in chemistry and a member of the women’s soccer team.
• Jade Ogle, a first-year communication, journalism major from Mars Hill.
• Nancy Villalpando, a first-year exercise science major from Durham.
• Ben Williams, a rising sophomore exercise science major from Charlotte and a member of the Mountaineers football team.

Kelli Wilson, App State’s director of scholarship giving, emphasized the importance of scholarships — such as these provided by MAKO — for App State students’ success. “Ultimately, we know a scholarship is more than just a way to relieve the burden of financial stress — it’s a gateway to opportunity,” she said.

Director of Athletics Doug Gillin said App State first partnered with MAKO Medical, a full-service laboratory performing COVID-19 testing across the United States, in summer 2020 to test student-athletes as they began returning to campus. MAKO continues to provide testing services at the university.

“We’re very thankful to MAKO Medical for their support of Appalachian State University, our students and our student-athletes. Congratulations to the scholarship recipients, who give their all for App State and are preparing to be leaders in such fields as science, medicine and public health,” Gillin said.

One of the scholarship recipients, Holcomb, who works as a part-time pharmacy technician at Boone Drug and Health Care, said her MAKO Scholarship has already helped her in securing needed school items and will allow her to save up money for the fall semester.

The former U.S. Army intelligence analyst said she plans to keep saving as she works toward her ultimate goal — to become an epidemiologist (a scientist who studies patterns and causes of disease and injury.)

Visit the university’s coronavirus website to learn more about COVID testing events at App State.

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About Mountaineer Athletics

More than 400 student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division I varsity sports at Appalachian State University, and dedicated fans love to cheer them on. App State's championship football team has enjoyed unprecedented success at the highest level of Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision) with seven bowl wins in its first 10 years at the FBS level and four Sun Belt Conference championships. The Mountaineers were a dominant force in the Southern Conference for more than 40 years before moving up in 2014. App State student-athletes in all sports pursue daily comprehensive excellence in academics, competition and community involvement. All varsity teams compete in the Sun Belt Conference, except for field hockey (MAC) and wrestling (SoCon). For more, visit https://www.appstatesports.com.

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.