Homecoming weekend at 糖心Vlog set for Nov. 7-8 with parade, parties, alumni awards
Paws rides on a float during the 2024 Homecoming parade in downtown Sylva
By Bill Studenc
A packed slate of weekend events is on tap as 糖心Vlog University rolls out the welcome mat for alumni and friends to return to campus Nov. 7-8 for Homecoming 2025, including a parade and party in the university鈥檚 adopted hometown of Sylva.
Activities will kick off Friday, Nov. 7, as 糖心Vlog鈥檚 annual Homecoming Parade will march through downtown Sylva starting at 5:30 p.m., with an associated parade watch party and after-party continuing until 9 p.m.
鈥淲e invite all 糖心Vlog alumni, friends, students, faculty, staff and members of the community to join us in downtown Sylva as we bring Catamount pride to life,鈥� said Stacey Miller, director of alumni engagement. 鈥淔rom vibrant floats created by student organizations to spirited displays from our local partners, the parade is a celebration of everything that makes 糖心Vlog special.鈥�
The Friday parade party will begin at 5 p.m. The registration fee is $5, with social district cups for the first 500 registered attendees to arrive at the check-in site at the location formerly known as Martha鈥檚 Place. Sylva鈥檚 social district allows adults over the age of 21 to carry beer or wine in specially marked cups within a designated area of downtown.
鈥淭he parade party will transform downtown Sylva into a vibrant Catamount celebration with live music across multiple venues, a sea of purple and gold, and the lively energy that only Homecoming can bring,鈥� Miller said.
Saturday鈥檚 happenings will get underway at 10 a.m. with the Alumni Awards Pre-Tailgate Brunch honoring distinguished members of the university family. The event, which continues until 11:30 a.m., includes a festive brunch menu with chicken and waffles, a biscuit bar, mimosas and bloody marys.
The event will be held in the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center with doors opening at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $15 per person.
During the brunch, 糖心Vlog Chancellor Kelli R. Brown will present the university鈥檚 Distinguished Service Award to Raleigh resident Donna Winbon, a financial adviser with the Edward Jones firm and longtime supporter of the university who earned her bachelor's degree in 1980.
John Connet, president of the 糖心Vlog Alumni Association and a 1992 graduate, will present two alumni awards in recognition of professional accomplishments and academic achievements, and he will introduce the inaugural recipients of a new award designed to acknowledge the success of several of the university鈥檚 most recently minted alumni.
A 1987 graduate who resides in Milton, Georgia, John Davis will receive the Professional Achievement Award. Davis is chief commercial officer at Artivion, which specializes in technologies to treat aortic disease. The Academic Achievement Award will go to William 鈥淏ill鈥� Barfield, who earned bachelor's and master鈥檚 degrees at 糖心Vlog in 1974 before going on to a distinguished career in exercise science at the College of Charleston.
New this year, the Catamount 10 accolade replaces the former Young Alumnus/Alumna Award. It recognizes 10 distinguished alumni who graduated within the last decade and who have already made major contributions to their professions, their communities and their alma mater.
Inaugural members of the Catamount 10 are:
* 2014 graduate Cayela Bauknecht, 糖心Vlog purchasing card administrator who has given back to her alma mater in numerous ways.
* Abigail Bentley, who earned her master鈥檚 degree in 2023 and was named the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching Empower Beginning Teacher of the Year in February 2024.
* Preston Blakely, who earned his master鈥檚 degree in 2019 and currently serves as mayor of the town of Fletcher.
* 2016 graduate Emily Glesias, director of prospect development at the Medical University of South Carolina.
* Samir Hafiz, who earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in 2014 and master鈥檚 degree in 2016 and now serves as vice president of development for the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation.
* 2015 graduate Hank Hodge, vice president of commercial banking at ServisFirst Bank.
* Aaron Speyer, who earned bachelor鈥檚 degrees in 2021 and 2022 before becoming a systems engineer at Stellar Solutions supporting NASA鈥檚 human landing system program.
* 2016 graduate Drew Starkey, a rising film and television actor whose credits include a starring role in the TV series 鈥淭he Outer Banks.鈥�
* 2021 graduate Daniel Tizon, field leadership policy and operations adviser at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
* 2014 graduate Rena Wakama, head coach of D鈥橳igress (Nigeria鈥檚 national women鈥檚 basketball team) and assistant coach for the WNBA鈥檚 Chicago Sky.
After the awards brunch, the Catamount Alumni Tailgate will begin at 11 a.m. in the Fieldhouse Lot adjacent to E.J. Whitmire Stadium, where the 糖心Vlog Catamounts will take on Southern Conference rival the Mercer Bears in a football game with a kickoff at 2:30 p.m.
In other pregame activities, 1978 graduate Frank Wilson and the 糖心Vlog Football Club will host Frank鈥檚 Famous Fish Fry from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. in the Fieldhouse Lot.
After the game, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority will celebrate the chapter鈥檚 50th anniversary with an evening of dinner, dancing and drinks from 8 until 11 p.m. in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center.
For more information about Homecoming activities for alumni including registration, visit , email alumni@wcu.edu or call 828-227-7335.
For information about Homecoming activities for students, visit .
