Where mentorship meets opportunity

For Avery Webb ’26, attending Lenoir-Rhyne University was both a family tradition and a personal choice. Nearly 20 members of her extended family — including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins — are LR alumni, and her great-grandfather’s family is connected to the Conrad name on Conrad Residence Hall.

Still, Webb wasn’t certain she would follow in their footsteps. After growing up in Raleigh and graduating from Leesville Road High School, where enrollment tops 2,500, she considered heading to a larger public university.

“I visited the Lenoir-Rhyne campus on scholarship day, and it just felt like home,” she said. “The Lineberger Fellows scholarship was kind of what I dreamed of.” 

The scholarship not only made LR financially feasible, but also welcomed Webb into the Fritz Honors College, where she quickly found community and opportunities to take her education further.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to hold themselves accountable to a higher academic standard,” Webb said. “It’s also a place where students have built community and can work with each other and learn outside pure academics.”

Being part of the inaugural group of Fritz Honors College students, Webb appreciated having a voice in shaping the program during its transition from earlier honors tracks. That sense of ownership carried into her approach to academics and research.

Coming from such a large high school, Webb hadn’t experienced close connections with teachers. For her, the LR environment flipped the script: instead of losing access to supportive mentors, she discovered what it meant to have professors who were engaged in her success.

“My professors are accessible and connected to students in a way I didn’t really see in my high school,” Webb said.

That accessibility opened doors. Webb built a mentoring relationship with Gordon Cappelletty, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, who encouraged her to pursue independent research. Together, they have been studying the relationship between hormonal fluctuations in the menstrual cycle, stress and memory.

In spring 2025, Webb presented her findings at the Southeastern Psychological Association conference in Atlanta, gaining valuable experience in professional scholarship and networking with other psychology students and faculty.

“It was a great opportunity to share what we’ve been working on and to connect with people in the field,” Webb said. “I’m interested in going on to graduate school in clinical psychology, so experiences like this are important.”

Webb’s long-term goal is to work with veterans and at-risk adult populations. She sees her honors coursework and research as stepping stones along that path.

“My scholarships have made a substantial impact on my ability to participate in more campus activities and find opportunities to take part in campus life, simply by removing the financial stress my parents face each year,” Webb said.

Whether she’s deep in her research, contributing to the life of the honors college, or taking part in Greek life and campus organizations, Webb has built a college experience that combines tradition with her own initiative.

“Being at LR has given me more than I expected,” she said. “I’ve been able to grow academically and personally, and I feel prepared for what’s next.”