CoffeeBreak is an e-newsletter distributed to Averett faculty and staff to keep them up to date on campus activities and information. Please send information you would like included in CoffeeBreak via this form. For the next CoffeeBreak, please submit by Friday, April 17, 2026, for a Wednesday, April 22, 2026, publication.
Announcements
Averett Theatre presents “Lucky Stiff”
The Averett University Theatre Department and Arts@Averett present the final play of the 2025-26 academic year, “Lucky Stiff” April 16-19 at the Pritchett Auditorium of the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center. The play will take place at 7 p.m. April 16-18, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 19.
Based on the novel, “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Michael Butterworth, “Lucky Stiff” is an offbeat, hilarious murder mystery farce, complete with mistaken identities, six million bucks in diamonds and a corpse in a wheelchair. The story revolves around an unassuming English shoe salesman who is forced to take the embalmed body of his recently murdered uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed in passing his uncle off as alive, Harry Witherspoon stands to inherit $6,000,000. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn…or else his uncle’s gun-toting ex!
People are also reading…
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://averett.booktix.com/.
Volunteers needed for commencement
If any faculty or staff are available to volunteer during commencement, please email Debbie Pike at dpike@averett.edu. Commencement will be Saturday, May 9. Assistance is needed with taking tickets and distributing programs.
Volunteers should plan to arrive at North Campus by 7:30 a.m. (no later than 7:45 a.m.), as the doors will open for guests at 8 a.m. Volunteers are welcome to stay for the entire ceremony, but if needed, are free to leave by 10:15 a.m. Thank you in advance for your help in making commencement a success.
Late Night Breakfast volunteers needed
The Student Government Association & Student Life are gearing up to host the much-loved Late-Night Breakfast on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 10 p.m. until midnight in the Cougar Den. This event allows students to relax, recharge and enjoy a sense of community as they prepare for final exams. We need your help to make this event a success.
Volunteering at Late-Night Breakfast is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our students, show them our support and help create an energizing end-of-semester experience. Whether serving food, greeting attendees or lending a hand behind the scenes, your participation will make a lasting impact on our students.
If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email to Graduate Assistant, Nakoa Goins (ngoins@averett.edu) by Monday, April 27. If you would like to make pancakes, you should arrive to the Cougar Den at 9:15 p.m. on the 29th. All other volunteers may arrive at 9:30 p.m.
The Cougar Cupboard’s new location
The Cougar Cupboard provides food for Averett students who are in need. Items are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis free of charge. The Cougar Cupboard was established to bridge the gap for any student facing food insecurity. Our goal is to ensure that no member of the Averett family goes hungry.
The Cougar Cupboard is located in the Galesi Family Student Success Center. Students can access the Cougar Cupboard 24/7. To ensure we best meet the needs of students and manage supplies, students must scan and complete the checkout form on the door of the cupboard.
For more questions or concerns about the Cougar Cupboard, contact Eben P. Leigh at eleigh@averett.edu.
Student Success Strategic Plan feedback
As the Student Success Department begins its development of its 2027-2032 Strategic Plan, please take the time to fill out this survey to help steer our development stages. If you have any questions, contact Eben P. Leigh at eleigh@averett.edu. Click on the graphic below to fill out the survey.
For more information about summer opportunities, visit http://averett.edu/summer.
Graduation Appreciation sale
The Graduation Appreciation sale is Thursday, April 23, in store and online. The Averett Bookstore will be open from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
For details and online shopping, visit the Averett Bookstore at https://www.bkstr.com/averettstore/home.
Additional local events and opportunities, including the Goodyear 5K, can be found at https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Danville/Goodyear5K.
Blue & Gold Spirit Day
The next Blue & Gold Spirit Day is Friday, April 17. In honor of the theatre production of Lucky Stiff and the full weekend of sports, everyone is encouraged (but not required) to wear blue and gold or logo wear to show their pride. Let’s fill the campus with Blue & Gold!
Upcoming Averett Athletics events
This afternoon, Wednesday, April 15, the softball team hosts ODAC rival Guilford College in a doubleheader at Cougar Field, beginning at 1 p.m.
On Saturday, April 18, baseball hosts ODAC foe Randolph-Macon in a doubleheader at Owen-Fulton Field, beginning at noon. Softball hosts ODAC foe Randolph College in a doubleheader at Cougar Field, beginning at 1 p.m. It will be Senior Day for the Cougars. Women’s tennis will host ODAC rival Sweet Briar College at 1 p.m. at the Averett Tennis Courts.
On Tuesday, April 21, the baseball team will host Johnson & Wales (N.C.) at 3 p.m. at Owen-Fulton Field.
To view the Averett Athletics calendar, please click HERE.
Symphonic Band Spring Concert – “Dances and Escapades”
Enjoy band music at its best with familiar tunes and works from some of the foremost composers for wind band. This concert will explore emotion through music and touch on expressions of Joy, Grace, Kinetic Energy, Adventure and more.
Thursday, April 24, 2026 @ 7 p.m., Pritchett Auditorium
Free Admission
Make sure to follow us on social media
Now is a good time to make sure you follow us on social media. New, inventive features are starting to roll out and each platform has interesting and important information. Also, a very good place to get information about winter weather.
X (formerly Twitter) – @AverettU1859
Facebook – Averett University
Instagram – @AverettNews
Let us hear from you
Do you know of any good stories to tell about Averett University? Something interesting that a student, faculty or staff member are doing this semester? Perhaps a class is involved in a fascinating project. Students who had impactful internships? If so, please reach out to the Communications Office. We aren’t just looking for stories about our outstanding seniors; we are looking for freshman, sophomore and junior stories as well. We’d love to tell these stories and share them with the community and region. If you have any story ideas, please reach out to Bill Dyer, Director of Public Affairs at bdyer@averett.edu.
Please remember that submissions for CoffeeBreak are due on the Friday before each publication and submissions for Cougar Connection are due on the Wednesday before publication. Submission forms are available at the top of CoffeeBreak and in the blue box at the bottom of Cougar Connection.
Averett University’s focus on interns and internships
Please read and view the first three articles below to learn more about Averett University’s commitment to identifying and providing internships for all members of its student body.
Averett named a 2026 Top Virginia Employers for Interns
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) announced Averett University as one of 161 employers honored with the 2026 Top Virginia Employers for Interns, recognizing their efforts to establish high-impact, career-launching internships across the Commonwealth.
To read the full release, please click HERE.
Presidential Interns add much to Averett community
With a mission to prepare students for purposeful careers, Averett University launched a new Presidential Intern Program in the fall. The three students selected for the inaugural year are already seeing personal growth while gaining hands-on, behind-the-scenes experience.
Chosen during the fall semester, the trio consists of Elisa Battermann, a senior from Zeist, The Netherlands, majoring in criminal justice, Siddhi “Sid” Khandelwal, a junior from Kendriya Vidyalaya, India, majoring in sports medicine, and Cayden Holdsworth, a junior from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, majoring in biomedical sciences.
To read the full article, please click HERE. To learn more about Averett’s Presidential Interns, please view the video clip below.
Nearly 200 Averett University students connected with more than 30 local and regional exhibitors as Averett hosted its Career and Internship Fair on March 31 in the Multipurpose Room of the Student Center.
The event, held in collaboration with the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership Initiative (V-TOP), gave students the opportunity to meet employers, explore internships and jobs, and build professional connections.
Several Averett University students won gift cards in a raffle held at the event. Congratulations to Kelsey Hyler, Lucas Fiandra Viera, Emma Lekander, Calvin Speed, Wolanga Okundji, Siddhi Khandelwal and Christian Smart.
To view a photo gallery of the event, please click HERE.
Health and wellness
Averett University’s wellness publication is here to support your whole self—mind, body and spirit. Each issue offers practical tips, helpful insights and inspiration to help you thrive on and off campus. Wellness is an extension of the Human Resources office and is here to support your journey. At Averett, wellness isn’t just a goal—it’s a way of living, learning and leading.
Please click the link to view this week’s offering from WellnessxAverett: WellnessxAverett 4.15.26
For information about counseling services for Spring 2026, please refer to the current Counseling Spring 2026 materials provided by the University.
