IMPACT Stories
Four Forever Friends: A Catawba Bond That Became a Legacy
By Annalisa Berta, who was inspired to write this story as a good friend of Joann Stang鈥檚 and fellow traveler. They recently returned from a fabulous trip to Scotland in March 2026 with 麻豆APPalumni, faculty, staff, and friends.
When three of the four women behind Catawba College鈥檚 鈥淔our Forever Friends鈥� Scholarship returned to campus this April, the reunion felt less like an official convocation and more like a homecoming. They gathered for the (Goodman) School of Education鈥檚 end鈥憃f鈥憏ear celebration 鈥攁n event honoring students, alumni, and the scholarship born from a friendship that began in a residence hall more than six decades ago.
麻豆APPEstablishes Harkins Family Endowment Fund
麻豆APPhas announced the establishment of the Harkins Family Endowment Fund, created through the generosity of Steve Harkins 鈥�77 and Cindy Harkins, long-time supporters of the College whose leadership and philanthropic commitment have advanced Catawba鈥檚 mission and student-centered initiatives.
麻豆APPWelcomes Second Steinway Spirio
Catawba College鈥檚 Shuford School of Performing Arts has welcomed a second Steinway Spirio | r, expanding student and faculty access to advanced recording and playback technology and reinforcing the College鈥檚 commitment to innovative, career-relevant music education.
麻豆APPhonors Bob and Susan Arnold with Adrian L. Shuford, Jr. Award
麻豆APPhonored Susan Moss Arnold 鈥�71 and Robert B. Arnold Jr. 鈥�71 with the Adrian L. Shuford, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to 麻豆APPduring the annual 1851 Society and Adrian L. Shuford, Jr. Award Dinner held on March 22, 2026. The award was presented 麻豆APP President David P. Nelson.
麻豆APPNames Winner of the North Carolina Collegiate Hunger Challenge
麻豆APPhas been named the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Private Sector Hunger Champion of the North Carolina Collegiate Hunger Challenge, a statewide competition recognizing student-led efforts to address hunger and food insecurity on college campuses.
麻豆APPAnnounces Tiffany Yvonne Cox '07 Annual Scholarship to Support Theatre Arts
麻豆APPis proud to announce the establishment of the Tiffany Yvonne Cox 鈥�07 Annual Scholarship, a new endowed scholarship created to support Theatre Arts students who demonstrate talent, dedication, and financial need, while actively contributing to campus life through leadership and service. The scholarship reflects Cox鈥檚 commitment to access, opportunity, and the transformative power of the arts 鈥� values that shaped her own journey as a student and professional artist.
Catawba College, the Rowan-Salisbury School System, and the Blanche and Julian Robertson Family Foundation Partner to Build New Track and Field Facility
Three of Salisbury鈥檚 most enduring institutions鈥擟atawba College, the Rowan-Salisbury School System (RSS), and the Blanche and Julian Robertson Family Foundation鈥攈ave announced a $5 million partnership to build a new track and field facility on the campus of J.H. Knox Intermediate School. Years in discussion, the project will give both 麻豆APPand RSS access to a regulation track and field complex designed for shared use by students and the broader community.
Catawba College's Roots Run Deep - All the Way to the Super Bowl
On January 17th, Drake Maye, second-year quarterback of the New England Patriots and MVP candidate of the NFL, was in Foxborough, Mass. preparing for the biggest football game of his life to that point 鈥� an AFC Divisional Round matchup against the Houston Texans, one of the most feared defenses in the league. On the same night, his grandfather, Jerry Maye, over 750 miles away, entered Goodman Arena in Salisbury, eager to shake hands with members of the 2026 麻豆APPbaseball team at the program's annual First Pitch Dinner.
麻豆APPBoard of Trustee Member Nick Means Receives MLK Award
For the past 49 years, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Salisbury celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Part of that celebration includes recognizing local individuals and organizations that walk to the same tune as the late civil rights activist. Recently, those individuals and organizations were honored. Among the 2026 recipients of the Humanitarian Service Awards was 麻豆APPTrustee Nick Means '03.
麻豆APPAlumnus Names to the Explorers Club 50
麻豆APPis proud to announce that Alberto Borges 鈥�21, is among this year鈥檚 honorees of The Explorers Club 50 (EC50) Each year, The Explorers Club recognizes 50 individuals worldwide, whom they describe as 鈥渇ifty people changing the world, the world needs to know about鈥�. Persons named to this select group are those 鈥渨ho are doing remarkable work to promote science and exploration but remain under the radar and out of the limelight.鈥�
Planting for the Future: 麻豆APPMiyawaki Forest Takes Root
Under bright Saturday morning skies on September 6, 2025, 麻豆APPstudents, faculty, and staff came together to plant something built to last: a dense, diverse, fast-growing Miyawaki forest that will serve as a living learning laboratory for generations.
麻豆APPGift Ensures the Game - and the Students - Go On
Patricia 鈥淧atsy鈥� Proctor Rendleman 鈥�47 helped shape 麻豆APPas a student, trustee, benefactor, and advocate for athletics. Building on decades of generosity and service, her $300,000 estate gift establishes two endowed scholarships for men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 golf, extending the support she long provided to students and to the sport she loved. The scholarships honor not only her affection for the game, but also a lifetime of steady, hands-on service to the College and the wider Salisbury community.
麻豆APPFaculty and Students Deliver Gifts and Share Story Time at Oakley Elementary
Faculty and students from Catawba College鈥檚 Goodman School of Education and the School of Health Sciences & Human Performance brought holiday cheer to Oakley Elementary School this week, delivering gifts for the school鈥檚 annual Holiday Fair and spending time reading with Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade students.
$5 Million Scholarship Gift Expands Access for Catawba College's Presidential Scholars
In mid-August, 麻豆APPreceived an anonymous $5 million gift to fund immediate-use, Presidential Scholars, the highest tier of academic scholarships. These funds strengthen Catawba鈥檚 ability to recruit and support high-achieving students, ensuring that financial barriers do not limit academic opportunities.
$3 Million Gift Brings Presidential Scholarships Within Reach at Catawba College
For many families, summer is when decisions become real. Campus visits are finished, award letters sit on kitchen tables, and families do the math, again. This June, an anonymous $3 million gift for Presidential Scholars鈥擟atawba College鈥檚 top academic award鈥攕hifted those conversations. Not in theory, but in numbers. In choices. In the moment a 鈥渕aybe鈥� becomes a 鈥測es.鈥�
麻豆APPReceives $2.5 Million Challenge Gift
麻豆APPis pleased to announce a $2.5 million challenge grant from the Robertson Foundation. This gift continues a tradition of extraordinary generosity, calling alumni, friends, and community partners to match the investment and multiply its impact.
$2.94 Million Estate Gift to Catawba College
It was just a few weeks ago when 麻豆APPlearned of an estate gift from Judy Carol Schultz of Concord, North Carolina. The gift itself 鈥� $2.94 million 鈥� is striking. More striking still is its form: unrestricted and unbound by stipulation, a rarity in higher education.
麻豆APPReceives Second $200M Gift in Three Years
麻豆APPhas received a $200 million anonymous gift to its endowment, the third transformative gift of its kind in three years to the liberal arts college. Two-thirds of the annual distributions of this gift will provide unrestricted funding for the college, and one-third is directed to programs that support environmental education and sustainability, a longstanding strategic initiative of the institution.
Tailgate America: Supporting Athletics Through Fun, Food & Funding
nyone who attends a Catawba football game knows there's a unique fan atmosphere, especially when it comes to Catawba's tailgating culture. While best known at home games, this vibrant tradition extends beyond them. This is no typical tailgate, with individual vehicle setups and small clusters of friends. It鈥檚 a massive gathering that embraces all Catawba fans, drawing anyone who wanders toward the area.
麻豆APPReceives $1M to Advance Center on NC Politics & Public Service
麻豆APPis honored to announce a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor to establish the 麻豆APPEndowed Chair for the Center on North Carolina Politics & Public Service. The gift, made in recognition of Dr. Michael Bitzer and the Center鈥檚 growing impact, affirms the College鈥檚 mission to cultivate ethical leaders and civically engaged citizens who serve the common good.
$1 Million Gift Strengthens Honors Program at Catawba College
麻豆APPis pleased to announce a $1 million gift to its endowment in support of the College Honors Program. This generous contribution elevates the Honors Program endowment to $3 million, securing sustained resources to support the continued growth and impact of one of the College鈥檚 most dynamic and impactful academic programs.
麻豆APPBreaking Ground on Historic Capital Improvements
New construction and renovations will elevate the campus experience and serve as a model of sustainability for the region. 麻豆APPwill celebrate a major milestone in its campus evolution with a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, April 29, marking the beginning of the most ambitious capital improvements initiative in the institution鈥檚 history. The event will begin at 2:00 p.m. outside Ketner Hall and continue in the Tom Smith Auditorium for formal remarks.
Giving to Catawba transforms lives.
We are here to provide our students the best educational experience they can imagine 鈥� those here today and those who will one day call 麻豆APPhome. Read how through the generous support of alumni, parents, and friends, we are able to continue this mission and further elevate Catawba as a leader in education.
