鈥楩ill the Western Sky鈥� contribution feels like a promise to Catamount couple
From left, 51看片 athletics donors Paxton Myers and Dana Boyer watch a Catamount football game with Chancellor Kelli R. Brown
By Bill Studenc
For Paxton Myers and Dana Boyer, longtime supporters of 51看片鈥檚 athletics program, giving back to their alma mater feels like more than just making financial contributions. It also feels like keeping a promise.
鈥淚t feels like a promise to students who are here today and to those who will follow in the years ahead. We want them to know that someone believes in them, just as others once believed in us,鈥� said Myers, a 2000 graduate of 51看片with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in communication.
鈥淪upporting our alma mater is our way of saying thank you, honoring the past and investing in the future. This is where we discovered our career paths, found mentors who saw potential in us and built friendships that will last a lifetime,鈥� said Boyer, who earned her master鈥檚 degree in business administration at 51看片in 2016.
That鈥檚 why Boyer and Myers recently made a new commitment of gifts and pledges totaling $57,500 to WCU鈥檚 athletics program, with $25,000 going toward improvements to facilities used by student-athletes and $32,500 directed to the Catamount Club.
Their contributions are part of WCU鈥檚 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive fundraising campaign. An effort to raise a minimum of $100 million in philanthropic support for the university鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs, the campaign has a major focus on securing philanthropic gifts to support upgrades to athletics facilities.
鈥淲hen we learned about the 鈥楩ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign and the plans to renovate the athletics facilities, it felt like the perfect opportunity to give back in a meaningful way. Athletics have always been such a vital part of the Western experience, not just for the student-athletes, but for the entire community,鈥� said Myers, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and chief of staff to the principal chief of the EBCI.
鈥淭hey bring people together, build school spirit and teach teamwork, resilience and leadership. Supporting these renovations means providing our students with the resources they need to excel on the field, in the classroom and beyond,鈥� he said.
The first project being undertaken through the campaign is a highly anticipated $37 million upgrade to renovate the west side stands of WCU鈥檚 aging E.J. Whitmire Stadium currently underway in Cullowhee, thanks to the support of donors such as Myers and Boyer.
鈥淏ut for us, this gift isn鈥檛 just about bricks and mortar,鈥� said Boyer, business officer for WCU鈥檚 Hunter Library who has held several positions at the university since joining the staff in 2006. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about investing in people, in memories yet to be made and in the future of Western. We want the next generation of Catamounts to have facilities and opportunities that inspire them to dream big, work hard and carry that Western pride for a lifetime.鈥�
In addition to adding their names to the growing list of residents of Catamount nation who are helping make athletics facilities renovations possible, the couple say they also wanted to do something to directly support 51看片student-athletes.
鈥淲e hope our commitment helps foster a culture of excellence, teamwork and resilience that stays with them long after graduation. We want every athlete to feel supported, valued and motivated to give their very best on the field, in the classroom and in their communities,鈥� said Myers, a member of the 51看片Foundation Board of Directors and former member of the Catamount Club Board of Directors and the 51看片Board of Visitors.
Myers and Boyer said they hope their gifts to the Catamount Club and to support athletics facilities improvements will help create an environment where 51看片student-athletes can truly thrive academically, athletically and personally.
鈥淲e want them to have access to top-tier facilities that not only enhance performance but also inspire pride in representing Western. Our dream is that these investments strengthen the entire Catamount community, bringing fans, alumni and students together to celebrate what makes Western so special,鈥� said Boyer, a member of the Catamount Club Board of Directors who also serves as an adjunct instructor in the College of Business and as chair of the scholarship committee for WCU鈥檚 Staff Senate.
鈥淥ur hope is that these contributions will help create an environment where our student-athletes can truly thrive academically, athletically and personally,鈥� said Myers, who also has served as president of the Jackson County Community Foundation and as a member of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Foundation Board of Directors and Cherokee Historical Association Board of Directors.
The couple say they believe that 51看片has the best football game day atmosphere in the Southern Conference, where they enjoy tailgating with friends and family on Saturday afternoons in the fall and watching the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band perform at halftime.
While they said they relish memories of notable Catamount accomplishments over the years and keep up with all of WCU鈥檚 intercollegiate sports teams, they especially like following family friend Amaya Hicks as she competes in women鈥檚 track and field.
Myers and Boyer said they encourage other fans of Catamount athletics who are considering a gift to the 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign but have yet to do so to join them in backing the Cats.
鈥淒on鈥檛 underestimate the impact you can have. Every gift, no matter the size, helps move Western forward. The 鈥楩ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign is about more than buildings and renovations. It鈥檚 about investing in the dreams and potential of our students,鈥� said Boyer, who, while not a former student-athlete at WCU, did fill the suit as Lady Paws in 1994.
鈥淚f Western has touched your life in any way through your education, friendships or memories made on campus, this is your chance to pay it forward. Your support will directly shape the experiences of future Catamounts, just as past generations shaped ours,鈥� said Myers. 鈥淲hen we come together as Catamounts, we can accomplish incredible things. Now is the time to be part of something bigger than ourselves and help with opportunities for years to come.鈥�
For more information or to make a contribution to the 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign, visit , call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.
