January 9, 2026 • 11:55 am | GEAR UP
As the only GEAR UP partnership grant board member, Corinne was elected by her peers to help shape the future of NCCEP while amplifying the mission of GEAR UP nationwide. Board member duties include helping to provide financial oversight including budget approval;...
December 19, 2025 • 1:16 pm | GEAR UP
On Saturday, December 6, Appalachian GEAR UP hosted the first L.E.A.D. Gather-Connect for the second cohort of the program. Students from Ashe, Watauga, Burke, and Wilkes counties gathered in the Plemmons Student Union at Appalachian State University to meet one...
December 4, 2025 • 2:23 pm | GEAR UP
November was another busy month for the Office of Rural Promise! On November 3, the GEAR UP Campus Visit team held a special family night. Students from Watauga and Ashe traveled to App State’s campus for a campus tour, pizza, and a Q&A with a panel of financial...
December 1, 2025 • 10:13 am | GEAR UP
Appalachian GEAR UP Partnership, housed within the Office of Rural Promise at Appalachian State University, is excited to announce a partnership with the Society for Science to launch the Western North Carolina Research Fellows Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative...
November 19, 2025 • 2:33 pm | GEAR UP
On November 7th, GEAR UP students from Ashe County High School, Watauga High School, Alleghany High School, and Wilkes Central High School traveled to Appalachian State University for a special admissions-focused Mountaineer Expedition. This visit was a collaboration...
November 3, 2025 • 1:53 pm | GEAR UP
The month of October proved to be a busy one for Appalachian GEAR UP schools! From preparing students for the FAFSA, to getting families on college campuses, every GEAR UP school was providing valuable services to their communities. On October 13, GEAR UP Coordinator...
October 28, 2025 • 3:05 pm | GEAR UP
The North Carolina Public School Forum’s Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity, in collaboration with Leading EDge Learning and the Appalachian State GEAR UP Partnership, is proud to announce the launch of the second cohort of the...
September 24, 2025 • 2:06 pm | GEAR UP
The Public School Forum has announced the newest cohort for the 2025-2026 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP). Five faculty and staff members from Appalachian State University including two Office of Rural Promise (ORP) staff members are among the participants,...
September 5, 2025 • 9:43 am | GEAR UP
On July 23rd, Isothermal Community College hosted a one-day leadership camp for rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in Polk County. This GEAR UP camp was organized by the Dean of Teaching and Learning Support Administration, Dr. Kelly Lovelace. Dr....
July 21, 2025 • 2:17 pm | GEAR UP
Corinne Smith, director of App State’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, was recognized with the 2025 GEAR UP Professional Leader of the Year award for her passion for and commitment to GEAR UP’s goal of ensuring college access and...
July 13, 2025 • 9:10 pm | GEAR UP
The GEAR UP Guarantee is a guaranteed admissions program to Appalachian State University for students in participating GEAR UP Appalachian programs. If students can maintain a minimum weighted GPA of a 3.25 and meet all the other UNC system requirements for admission,...
July 11, 2025 • 1:10 pm | GEAR UP
Katie Matheson, a 2020 graduate of Ashe County High School, remembers vividly the first time she joined a GEAR UP college bus tour as a student. She visited UNC Greensboro, NC State and UNC Chapel Hill alongside her classmates.This was during one of the very first...
June 30, 2025 • 1:58 pm | GEAR UP
Brenda Palacios Rodriguez never envisioned herself attending college. “I felt like I personally wasn’t worthy of it,” she said, reflecting on how she felt about college before getting involved with GEAR UP. As a first-generation student from an...
June 26, 2025 • 12:14 pm | GEAR UP
What do you get when you cross a slushie machine, Play-Doh, and a gourmet homemade lunch? You get a 6th grade McDowell Technical Community College visit, of course! On Wednesday, June 4, McDowell County 6th graders visited the campus of McDowell Technical...
June 23, 2025 • 3:28 pm | GEAR UP, Through Our Eyes
In this series, we feature individual CAP staff members and dive into their unique perspectives on college access, education, the role of our grant programs in the community, and more. This month, we highlight Wes Calbreath, Assistant Director of College Access...
