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甜瓜视频app alumna Stefanie Conley, a Franklin native and longtime supporter of the Catamount athletics program, readily admits that she did not become a fan of the university鈥檚 intercollegiate sports teams during her years as a student in Cullowhee.

After all, the 2008 graduate with a degree in entrepreneurship was too busy earning money on the evenings and weekends when other students and alumni were cheering on the Cats. Instead, Conley discovered her passion for WCU student-athletes shortly after she became a staff member in the Division of Athletics, first as director of ticket operations and later as associate director of the Catamount Club.

鈥淎s a student, I didn鈥檛 go to any athletics or sports events. I was working at O鈥橫alley鈥檚 (a popular bar and grill in Sylva), so every home football game I was there making money to help pay for school,鈥� said Conley, who is now a successful real estate agent specializing in Western North Carolina properties.

During her senior year at WCU, Conley began working at the print shop under the guidance of then-director Tom Frazier before graduating in May.

鈥淎fter graduating, I was working in insurance for about a year. I just happened to be on Western鈥檚 website, and thought I鈥檇 check out job listings to see what was going on,鈥� she said. One job in the athletics area caught her eye 鈥� director of ticket operations.

鈥淭om Frazier (former WCU Print Shop director), like Tom Frazier does, makes a phone call, and I go through the interview process and I got the job. So, I got this job where I thought I鈥檇 be tearing off tickets like you do in high school. I had no idea of what the job would entail,鈥� said Conley.

鈥淚 started in September of 2009 and from that point, I was sold on WCU athletics. I started to bleed purple and gold when I saw the love, the excitement and the passion that everyone has. I truly fell in love with the student-athletes and everything about it,鈥� she said.

That鈥檚 why Conley has been a fervent supporter of the Catamounts for more than a decade, recently making gifts and pledges totaling $25,000 to support the athletics program, with $20,000 going toward athletics facilities renovations and $5,000 specifically for baseball facility enhancements.

Her commitment comes as WCU is in the home stretch of its 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive fundraising campaign. An effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for the university鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs, the campaign has a major focus on seeking financial support for upgrades to WCU鈥檚 long-neglected athletics facilities.

鈥淲hen I worked at Western, I was obviously on a state salary and I was in my 20s and 30s. And you鈥檙e seeing all these people giving back. Through their actions, they taught me the theory of the four T鈥檚. Every person can give back at least one of their four T鈥檚 鈥� your time, which you volunteer; treasure, which is money; your talent, which could be a natural ability to talk to people; or your touch, the people in your network. When I was working at Western, my T鈥檚 were my talent and my touch,鈥� Conley said.

鈥淟ater in life, working in real estate and my personal situation has changed, it was a no-brainer when the 鈥楩ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign came about, I realized that I was going to participate,鈥� she said.

Conley chose to direct her gifts toward athletics because she has witnessed firsthand the condition of current facilities used by student-athletes 鈥� first from the perspective of an athletics staff member and later as a fan and supporter.

鈥淥h gosh, there is such a need. In this day and age, everybody is all about 鈥榯he shine,鈥� right? It鈥檚 all about the shine. In order to have the caliber of athletics program we want to have and bring in the best student-athletes, we have to have the facilities. We have to show them the shine,鈥� she said.

Conley stipulated that a portion of her contribution go toward the baseball program because she has a special affinity for that sport.

鈥淲hy baseball? Well, they just beat the nationally ranked Georgia Bulldogs. I love (Coach) Alan Beck,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o have a sport that can constantly win with limited resources, why not give to a program that shows constant grit and hustle and intensity?鈥�

Beck, whose Catamount squad is in the early part of the 2026 schedule, said that his program depends on contributions from alumni and fans for operational funding and for addressing pressing needs facing WCU baseball facilities.

鈥淚 truly appreciate all the support from our donors. We need the help of our donors in order to recruit and retain the student-athletes necessary to win the Southern Conference,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淲e have made some recent updates to the dugouts and current hitting facility. Those have greatly helped our team in how we prepare and operate. The next piece is a clubhouse and indoor area at our field. This is becoming the standard for Division I baseball.鈥�

The baseball program is in desperate need of a space that isn鈥檛 affected by inclement weather, he said.

鈥淲hen we are at the field for a game or practice and lightning comes through, the nearest shelter is the Ramsey Center, which is also where our locker room is located.  A facility closer to the stadium would make us more efficient and allow our players to get off their feet on game days,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淎lso, our locker room hasn鈥檛 been updated since 2006 when Coach (Todd) Raleigh and his staff built the current lockers. A new facility would change that.鈥�

Also helping inspire Conley鈥檚 decision to make her contribution is WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown鈥檚 insistence that support for athletics be a major part of the fundraising campaign, she said.

鈥淗aving a chancellor who is fully committed to athletics is a dream. Every chancellor is going to come in and have their priority, and they鈥檙e going to want to attach their legacy to something. We have a chancellor now who has made a funding commitment to athletics, and that is huge. Knowing her passion and her drive to be able to support and continue that legacy is so meaningful,鈥� she said.

Conley said she plans to continue supporting her alma mater and, on down the road, increase her philanthropy.

鈥淚鈥檓 nearly 40 now, but when the next campaign ultimately comes around, who knows? Would I love at 60 to know I鈥檓 writing a seven-figure check? Absolutely,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y eyes have been opened to the legacy you can provide. You don鈥檛 even have to have a spare dollar to your name. There are other opportunities to leave your legacy through an estate or through a life insurance policy, which I鈥檓 considering.鈥�

For Conley, a passion that she discovered as a staff member in the Catamount Club has grown even stronger as a female fan and donor.

鈥淚 genuinely have a passion to give back to something that I can鈥檛 put a price tag on. When you look at a female donor, they have to have a connection to something, and they have to know that their gift is bigger than themselves,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 providing opportunities. Women want to give back because of student-athletes like the late Tawaski King or a Troy Mitchell, Chrissie White or Amber Steinhardt Haber,鈥� Conley said.

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.