Fifteen students from Appalachian State University’s Walker College of Business were selected to compete in the Truist Immersive Learning Experience, October 16–17, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The students are (front row) Taylor Riddle, Grace Houle, Lindsay Ford, Abigail Duker, Sydney Salzman, and Daisy Sierra; (back row) Maxim Timperman, Alex Pecoraro, Sarah Lingle, Oscar Yarborough, Nate Assefa, Francisca Campos Galaes, and Thomas Flowers. Matthew Connor and Thomas Brickhouse are not pictured.
App State's Truist Immersive Learning Experience team and partners. Photo submitted
The event brought together student teams from six universities to solve real-world business problems using innovative technology.
In addition to App State, participating institutions included UNC Charlotte, Wingate University, Davidson College, Johnson C. Smith University, and Queens University. Each team was paired with a corporate partner that had a problem to solve and a technology partner for the technical implementation of their solution.
City of Charlotte, Amazon Web Services
App State collaborated with the City of Charlotte, whose employees requested a single sign-on digital platform to streamline access to municipal services. Additional features included an AI chatbot, multilingual support, and integrated payment capabilities. Amazon Web Services served as App State’s technology partner.
Over the course of five hours, students worked alongside Truist mentors, AWS representatives, and City of Charlotte technology administrators to develop a functional solution.
App State students work on their challenge at the Truist Immersive Learning Experience. Photo submitted
“Our students were exposed to real-world problems and provided partners with workable solutions while experiencing hands-on learning in a corporate setting,” said Amy Odom, executive director of App State’s Business Career Services, who accompanied the students. “It was truly a wonderful experience to see them living the strategic plan of the Walker College of Business in real time!”
Jackie Garner, Amy Odom and Dean Sandra Vannoy attended the student presentations at Truist and Discovery Place. Photo submitted.
The teams presented their solutions to an audience of more than 200 attendees, including representatives from the City of Charlotte, Charlotte Center City, Truist Championship, Foundation of the Carolinas, Duke Energy, and Atrium Health.
The App State students presented solutions for The City of Charlotte. Photo submitted
The App State students were selected by a competitive application and committee review process.
The Truist Student Leadership Center at App State houses the Walker College's Business Career Services office. It supports employer relations, career-related student events, student leadership development, and staff professional development.
About Business Career Services
Business Career Services in the Truist Student Leadership Center provides opportunities for business students to build career skills through professional and leadership development training. The center offers career services with personalized coaching and support to business students preparing for a career beyond Appalachian. Learn more at businesscareers.appstate.edu.
