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Heather Payne ’98 looks back at her 27-year-long career in education quite fondly. The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ alumna spent every single one of them in Clay County, and taught thousands of students before retiring this past school year.

On a cold morning in December 2025, six forensic anthropology students from Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ entered the woods of Ellerbe Creek with five of their professors and a group of Durham Police Department officials.

Audiences in Cullowhee found themselves transported to Oxford University and Neverland this April while attending the debut production of “Peter + I."

The sound of rushing water fills the ears of Ryland Harrison M.S. ’26 as she kayaks the Nantahala River. The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ alumna knows this river intimately.

The Calm Before the Storm with Wrestling Producer and Alumnus Clark Willhoite

Bob McCollum on Service in Action

Alumnus Daniel Ross speaks on a career in songwriting.

Learn about Stacy Guffey’s Appalachian roots, his path into public service and his efforts to preserve the region’s cultural heritage, support community development and strengthen connections between residents, the land and its history.

A scholarship fund designed to protect the environment through education gets a $1.3 million boost from an estate gift.

The historic ‘Fill the Western Sky’ fundraising campaign concludes with a total of more than $110 million in gifts