WCU Pride of the Mountains Alumni

05/20/2026

🎺🥁 OWN A PIECE OF PRIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS HISTORY 🟣⚪

For 13 unforgettable seasons, the iconic Pride of the Mountains marching band uniform became a symbol of excellence, passion, and Catamount pride. That uniform represented Western Carolina University and the great state of North Carolina on some of the world’s biggest stages.

Over 6,000 alumni proudly wore this coat in:
✨ Two Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades
✨ The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland
✨ Bands of America Regional, Super Regional, and National Championships
✨ Hundreds of performances that inspired audiences everywhere

Now, you have the opportunity to own a true piece of Pride history.

These authentic uniform coats are available for purchase to proudly display in your home, office, band room, or collection — and every purchase directly supports the future of the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band.

This is more than a uniform. It is a legacy of tradition, excellence, family, and unforgettable memories.

Supplies are limited, so don’t wait — order yours today at the link below and help continue the legacy for generations to come.

https://wcupg.wcu.edu/C20252_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=408&clearPreview=true

05/07/2026

Congrats, Justin Holmes!!!

We are proud to start today’s Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week highlight with a beat! 🥁

Highlighting Mr. Justin Holmes! A truly wonderful educator, Mr. Holmes is known for his ability to inspire excellence both academically and through his leadership with the drumline. He doesn't just teach, he motivates every student to strive for their personal best.

Make some noise for Mr. Holmes and all of our teachers for their dedication to our students!

04/22/2026

Congrats Nishelle!!!!

Who will be the Burroughs Wellcome Fund 2026 North Carolina Teacher of the Year? Meet our Western Region Teacher of the Year, Nishelle Henson, a math teacher at Macon County Middle School (Macon County Schools, NC).

Learn more how Nishelle inspires students and colleagues and helps students master content while modeling perseverance and lifelong learning, strengthening Macon Middle School’s instruction, boosting achievement and reinforcing confidence in the district’s ability to prepare students for future success - https://www.dpi.nc.gov/blog/2026/03/25/meet-nishelle-henson-western-region-teacher-year.

Nishelle is one of nine finalists for North Carolina Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced April 24 during a livestreamed ceremony on the NCDPI YouTube Channel - youtube.com/ncpublicschools. With support from PBS North Carolina, the livestream begins with a pre-show at 12 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Join us online and cheer for your favorite teacher!

04/13/2026

Attention Staff Coordinator Alumni: Save the date for the Staff Coordinator REUNION on October 23-24, 2026! We'd love for ALL of you to take a quick moment to head over to bit.ly/staffcoreunion to share your input on what activities and opportunities would make the weekend most enjoyable and meaningful for you. Filling out the survey does NOT mean you are committing to anything; we're just trying to figure out what we'd all like the weekend to look like. Thank you -- and GO CATS!

03/19/2026

03/04/2026

💜💛 TODAY WE EXTEND THE LINE 💛💜

Today we officially launch Extend the Line, a campaign supporting the incredible students of the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band at Western Carolina University.

For many years, our students have paid participation fees to be part of this life-changing experience. On an average year, those costs range from $700–$1,000 per student — covering B uniforms and the special travel needs of a program of this size and excellence.

Our students give everything they have to represent Western with pride. Now it’s our turn to stand for them.

🔹 Tier One: $1–$999
All gifts at this level will go into a general scholarship fund, allowing us to assist as many students as possible and reduce financial barriers across the band.

🔹 Tier Two: $1,000 Gift
A gift at this level allows us to personally connect you with a current band member in the section of your choice. You won’t just be giving — you’ll be directly investing in a student and building a meaningful connection within the Pride family.

Whether you are alumni, family, community, or fans — you are part of the Long Purple Line. And today, you can help extend it.

👉 Click the link below to learn more and make your gift.
https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/75223/donations/new?pre_launch_page_id=5675

Help us remove barriers.
Help us create opportunity.
Help us protect the legacy.

Help us extend the line.

03/04/2026

See you in Asheville! GO CATS!

11/18/2025

Staff Coordinator and Drum Major Alumni:

Let's help set the tone for the incredible journey we all know is ahead for the 2026 Staff Coordinators and Drum Majors by sending them a piece of advice, a word of encouragement, or a meaningful memory from your experience. All you need to do is fill out the appropriate Google Form, and we'll make sure your message gets passed along after the new teams are announced! :)

Staff Coordinators: https://bit.ly/staffco
Drum Majors: https://bit.ly/wcudrummajors

11/08/2025

Join us at the WCU Band Alumni Tent.

11/08/2025

Every year during our homecoming game we like to take the time to talk about this flag.

We fly our Memorial Flag to honor those who could not finish their journey with us.
The stars on this flag represent some very special PotM members who will forever be loved and remembered.

Where we go - they will go.

We are one. We are family.

We are - the Pride of the Mountains.

For those of you who don’t know, this flag was made many years ago to honor any student that passed away while a member of the Pride of the Mountains marching band, and therefore were not able to finish their journey with us. This special Memorial Flag, flown for the first time in 2007, is at every home football game and is carried at every special event that our band participates in. It was proudly carried on the West Coast at the Rose Parade in 2011, and at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2014 and 2019, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland in 2024, and numerous BOA exhibitions and band contests through the years. It is quite an honor to remember these great students and it serves as a reminder to us all that we all stay united when we are Catamount Strong.