meet your professor: claire lemoine

I was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The summer after high school, I traveled to Jackson, Wyoming and fell in love with the mountains. Throughout college, I worked in Jackson every summer. When it was time to pick where I wanted to go to graduate school, I knew I wanted to be in a mountain town and North Carolina always seemed like a perfect state. I landed in Boone 7 years ago and officially bought a house in the High Country last Fall. 

I personally was never the strongest student growing up. There were always lots of tears surrounding homework as a kid. I faced a lot of challenges pre college and during college; I had to drop classes and really work hard to earn my grades. Despite the challenges, I found ways that work for me to become a successful student. Each lesson helped me become more and more successful and continue my education. I look forward to sharing the skills I have learned along the way with you to help you reach your goals! 

I earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Graduate Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy from Appalachian State University. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Management and Marketing from Louisiana College. I also recently earned a second Graduate Certificate in College and University teaching here at Appalachian State. I am currently a fellow for the North Carolina Education Policy Fellowship Program and am taking a class through Penn State this semester. 

I started as the Assistant Director of the ACCESS Scholarship Program in February 2020. Prior to this position, I worked as a graduate assistant for ACCESS and TRIO Student Support Services from 2017-2019. A passion for working with college students started during my first year and ASU and I shifted my entire graduate plan of study to seek opportunities to help me grow into a professional that could best support diverse groups of students. I completed a practicum at the counseling center at ASU and an internship at the career center at Meredith College. This fall will make my 10th semester of teaching college students!

Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, being outside, reading, crafting, and spending time with family and friends. My husband and I also have two rescue dogs, Roux and Ellie, who we love spending time with. We also have started fostering dogs from the local humane society and other rescues in the area & absolutely love it. If you want to get connected to the humane society, let me know!