Dana Faircloth Sumner, the Associate Director of Student Employment and Internships, is a strategic and mission-driven leader with over 25 years of experience in career and professional development, employer engagement, and career readiness. As a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, she uses a strengths-based framework to help students identify and articulate their unique talents, building the self-awareness and confidence needed to navigate their career paths with purpose.
Partnering with Appalachian State students, faculty, staff, alumni, and employers, Dana fosters student career readiness. She champions high-impact experiences such as student employment, internships, practica, project-based learning, research, study abroad, campus involvement, and leadership, equipping students to translate their curricular and experiential learning to secure careers and thrive in today’s workplace.
Dana earned her Master of Arts degree in Student Development from Appalachian State University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Stetson University.