News Type: Campus

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia  – Just in time as warmer weather draws near, the final West Virginia Wesleyan College Faculty Lecture Series of the year will focus on ticks and tick-borne disease in West Virginia.

The community is invited to attend this lecture Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. in the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts. 

The project is overseen by Dr. Kim Bjorgo, Department of Biology and Environmental Science chair, and Dr. Melanie Sal, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science, and has been ongoing since 2018.  Their research partnership is unique because Bjorgo is an ecologist and Sal is a microbiologist. They work closely together to find and identify ticks, then look for any diseases the ticks might be carrying using DNA analysis.

The professors and a number of student researchers over the years have been studying ticks around Upshur County and beyond. 

As the project progresses, the research team will use this information to help the Upshur County community know where ticks carrying vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease are found in high numbers.

Sal said, “Eventually, we will publish this research. Our overall goal is to assess the potential risk of encountering Lyme disease in Upshur County and the surrounding area.”

Bjorgo added, “If we do happen to have a lot of Lyme disease positive ticks in one area, that is good information for folks to have. We want to raise awareness of diseases carried by ticks, and remind folks to use insect repellent and do a tick check after being outside.”

So far, several students have expressed an interest in continuing research this summer.

“The next phase is branching out and looking for more than just Lyme disease in ticks,” Bjorgo said. There are other tick-borne diseases, and our research partnership allows us to find those areas with lots of ticks and identify the potential pathogens.”

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia– West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) welcomes alumnus Ryan Thorn ’07 as the college’s new Associate Vice President for External Affairs and Strategic Partnerships.

“I’m so honored that Ryan Thorn is returning to his alma mater and bringing his considerable talents to our work,” stated Dr. James Moore, President of West Virginia Wesleyan. “I know Ryan is a proud West Virginian, just like me, and he shares our vision that WVWC can and should be a leader in bringing in generational change to our part of the Appalachian region. I can’t wait to hit the road with Ryan and start expanding our base of support. This is a great day for WVWC.”

In this role, Thorn will lead the College’s engagement with corporate, foundation and government stakeholders across the state and region. He will cultivate new and strengthen existing relationships while identifying new funding opportunities, partnerships, and other resources that support the College’s mission and priorities. 

“I’m excited to be back at WVWC and serve the College that had such a positive impact on my life during very formative years and provided the foundation for who I am today,” said Thorn. “I look forward to engaging with the College’s stakeholders to create new opportunities that advance its mission and ensure that students have the same transformative experience that I had for decades to come.”  

“We are delighted that Ryan accepted our invitation to return to Wesleyan in this critical role,” said Kristi Wilkerson ’99, Vice President for Advancement. “His expertise, experience, and connections throughout the region will undoubtedly make WVWC even stronger and have a lasting impact on our students and College.”

Thorn most recently served as State Director for USDA Rural Development in West Virginia from 2022-2025. Under his leadership, Rural Development invested more than $1.5 billion through hundreds of projects across the state that strengthened infrastructure, enhanced public safety and vital community facilities, bolstered rural healthcare, expanded access to broadband, provided home ownership and repair opportunities to residents, and supported agricultural producers and small businesses. Prior to his appointment at Rural Development, Thorn served as economic development manager for U.S. Senator Joe Manchin III and held several public and government affairs roles in the private sector. 

A native of New Martinsville, West Virginia (Wetzel County), Thorn was the first in his immediate family to graduate from college and is a long-time supporter and strong advocate of higher education. In addition to a bachelor’s degree from WVWC, he earned a master’s degree in communication from West Virginia University. 

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – A new collaboration between West Virginia Wesleyan College and Stone Tower Brews will bring West Virginia-roasted coffee drinks to campus beginning Fall Semester 2025.

Taking over the former Sunny Bucks location on the first floor of the Benedum Campus Center, Stone Tower Brews will operate a smaller-scale version of its Main Street Buckhannon shop. Launching the first “Stone Tower Coffee” campus location will focus primarily on coffee offerings, showcasing the company’s best West Virginia-roasted beans. 

Vice President of Student Affairs Alison Whitehair said, “This new collaboration between WVWC and a downtown Buckhannon business is something students have been asking for.  A coffee shop on campus isn’t just about serving coffee—it’s about creating a space where students can connect, recharge, and find inspiration.”

Sadie Nichols ‘25 added, “I can’t even begin to describe the anticipation, elation, and pure excitement I finally get to share with the Wesleyan community. As Student Senate President for the past two years, I had the unique privilege and opportunity to be part of a hopeful idea that has now become an exhilarating reality. I have been eagerly waiting for the day we get to walk across campus with a fresh cup of coffee in hand and ask, “Where have you BEAN all my life?” Well, my friends, that day has officially arrived!”

Stone Tower Brews currently has locations in Buckhannon, Bridgeport, Morgantown, and its original Fairmont store—known as The Joe. All coffee is roasted at Stone Tower Coffee Roasters in Fairmont.

James Kane, president and CEO of Stone Tower, said, “In 2018, we opened our doors on Main Street and have enjoyed being a part of the Buckhannon community ever since. Over the years, we’ve welcomed countless students, providing a space where friendships can grow and connections can flourish. This new partnership with West Virginia Wesleyan College is an extension of our commitment to community—a place where students, faculty, and locals can come together over great coffee and meaningful conversations. We look forward to continuing to serve and grow with the Wesleyan and Buckhannon communities.”

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College is proud to launch a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, designed to provide students with a robust foundation of knowledge that will empower them to add value to any organization or pursue post-graduate education.

The new major will be available starting in the Fall 2025 semester and aims to bridge some of the gaps between the most commonly leveraged enterprise software for critical cybersecurity and business functions to help allow students to transition to the workforce as seamlessly as possible.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of West Virginia Wesleyan College’s new cybersecurity major, a program designed to empower our graduates to make immediate contributions in one of today’s most critical and dynamic fields,” said Dr. Lynn M. Linder, Provost of West Virginia Wesleyan College. “What sets this program apart is its intentional focus on bridging the gap between academic theory and professional expectations. Through hands-on applications, experiential learning opportunities, and internships, our students will gain the practical skills and real-world experience they need to seamlessly transition into the workforce and succeed in the field of cybersecurity.”

Daniel Anderson has been hired as Associate Professor of Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence. Anderson has worked in Information Technology and Cybersecurity for 25 years. He brings experience in networking and cybersecurity domains including data tokenization, post-quantum readiness, network firewalls, PKI, cryptography, and system architecture.   In his most recent position as a cybersecurity engineering manager for Huntington Bank, Anderson designed a weekly class for engineers to study for the CISSP exam internally. Anderson earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cyber security and information assurance from WGU. 

Anderson said, “I’m honored to be a small part in bringing Cybersecurity curriculum and career development to the students of West Virginia Wesleyan College.  Through strong fundamentals and industry-focused majors, we begin to help bridge the gap between entry-level and mid-career cybersecurity professionals that the industry so desperately needs.”

The introduction of the Cybersecurity major reflects WVWC’s commitment to providing cutting-edge education that meets the evolving needs of the workforce. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, cybersecurity-related jobs are projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, highlighting the need for well-trained professionals in the field. WVWC’s program is designed to address this demand.

The Cybersecurity major will complement WVWC’s existing computer science program, while introducing students to artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Prospective students interested in learning more about the new cybersecurity major can visit www.wvwc.edu or contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@wvwc.edu.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Space Club will travel to Norway in November for a sounding rocket launch that will send their projects into orbit.

On Thursday, Feb. 27 at 11 a.m., members of the Space Club will be telling the campus community more about these projects as part of a special Faculty-Student Lecture Series in the side dining hall.

The Space Club will head to Andoya, Norway this fall where they will learn more about pre-launch and post-launch processes with a sounding rocket launch. Two projects they have been developing under advisor Dr. Tracey Delaney, a Spectrometer and a Langmuir Probe, will be launched into the ionosphere to study the properties of Aurora Borealis.
Making the trip are Dakota Carpenter ’28, Sonya Carper ’28, Jacob Dawson ‘25, Sneha Sundareneedi ‘27, Ezekiel Hall ‘27, Josiah Bradsher ‘28,  and mathematics professor Dr. Jesse Oldroyd. 

Thursday’s presentation will begin with an intro by department chair Dr. Bert Popson and the opportunity to hear from three students making the trip. 

Dawson, a business administration major with a minor in political science from Martinsburg, West Virginia, is the project manager for the Space Club’s trip to Norway. 

“I have experience in Project Management, and love learning how space works, so I joined Space Club
here at WVWC,” Dawson said.
Dawson will give an overview of the trip planned for November 2025.
“We are so excited to make this prestigious trip to learn and experience traveling to a foreign country. Being able to do this program through NASA has been a wonderful experience and our team of students are so grateful for the opportunity.”

Thompson, of Philippi, West Virginia, is a first-generation college student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in physics.
“I was introduced to Wesleyan as one of the West Virginia Metro News Scholar Finalists and received the Presidential Scholarship.
“I had the honor of participating in the Summer Research Program where I studied Ionized Elemental Isotopes,” he said. I would later present my research at the APS Eastern Great Lakes Section representing the Appalachian AAPT at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. After Wesleyan, I plan to pursue a career in Electrical Engineering at West Virginia University.”

Thompson will present about Ionizing Elemental Isotopes.
“This experiment was to research the process of introducing different elements into a vacuum and ionizing isotopes to determine their elements using Mass Spectrometry. This idea was used to measure Argon, Nitrogen, Tri-gas mixture, Carbon Dioxide, Propane, and an Unidentified gas. I would build on this project to ionize isotopes using the Photoelectric effect and wavelengths to break their molecular bonds.

Carper is a physics/engineering major and part of the executive boards for Space Club and Sigma Pi Sigma, physics National Honor Society. She is a WV NASA SGC student ambassador and a Space Ambassador.
“I will be speaking about my journey with NASA, and the Langmuir Probe and the Spectrometer that we are building and going to Norway to launch into the ionosphere (LEO) in the northern hemisphere,” she said.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – klion Counseling (CAC) program. This initiative, housed within WVWC’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program, will provide essential training for professionals addressing substance use disorders in West Virginia and the Appalachian region.

The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at WVWC is the first graduate counseling training program in the state to offer a specialization in Addiction Counseling as part of the 60-credit degree. Students can enroll in the CAC as part of the CMHC master’s program or as a fully online, 12-credit certificate program if they already hold a healthcare-related master’s degree. The CAC can be completed in as little as one semester, equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver quality addiction counseling services to communities hardest hit by substance use disorders.

Dr. Jen Randall Reyes, Director of the School of Counseling and Psychology at WVWC, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership.

“The School of Counseling and Psychology at West Virginia Wesleyan College is honored to partner with the West Virginia Behavioral Healthcare Providers Association (WVBHPA) to bring our Certificate in Addiction Counseling (CAC) to their membership. We support WVBHPA’s mission to create and sustain healthy and secure communities by training exceptional counselors at Wesleyan through our Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling,” Dr. Reyes said.

WVWC Provost Dr. Lynn M. Linder emphasized the significance of this collaboration. 

“We are thrilled to launch this innovative Certificate in Addiction Counseling program, a significant step forward in addressing the critical need for skilled addiction counselors in our state. This program embodies West Virginia Wesleyan College’s commitment to creating meaningful impact and fostering positive change in West Virginia and the broader Appalachian region, providing flexible pathways for professionals to gain expertise in tackling substance use challenges,” Dr. Linder said.

Through this partnership, the WVBHPA’s nearly 40 member organizations will have access to WVWC’s high-quality addiction counseling training, furthering their mission to strengthen behavioral healthcare services across the state. By expanding educational opportunities for professionals in the field, WVWC and WVBHPA are taking a vital step toward combating substance use disorders and supporting community health initiatives.

For more information about the Certificate in Addiction Counseling program, visit www.wvwc.edu/cmhc

About West Virginia Wesleyan College:

West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit www.wvwc.edu

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia –  A West Virginia Wesleyan College Service Scholar project has connected some of Upshur County’s youngest residents with elderly residents to spread some Valentine’s cheer. 

Matthew Hatfield ‘28, of Oceana, West Virginia,  is a Service Scholar through West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development. His site placement this academic year has been Tennerton Elementary where he spends six to 10 hours assisting school counselor Suzanne Bohman with everyday tasks, taking on responsibilities of projects for the students, and helping mentor some students.

Hatfield brainstormed the Valentines as a service project for students.

“When I started this project, my main intention was to bring smiles to those in nursing homes,” he said. “I have family members in nursing homes and I have since realized how lonely being in a nursing home can actually be. Of course, the residents see the employees, but not every resident is fortunate enough to see all their family. I wanted to educate the kids on the importance of being there for the wise.”

Hatfield asked students from kindergarten through fifth grades to make cards for the residents on St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Third Floor and at Holbrook Nursing Home and Serenity Care. He printed about 300 cards to make sure residents received two each and delivered them to the facilities on Valentine’s Day.

“When I first got the cards I went through each and every card reading them and some cards warmed my heart. I read some cards that had a paragraph on them, I saw some that had colorful drawings. I wanted to bring warmth, joy; happiness to the faces in the nursing homes. We always hear of the bad things that go on in the world. I think it’s time that we flood the world with kindness, smiles, hugs, and a simple card. It may not have been a big deal to some people, but I believe my goal was accomplished, and that was for the residents to have a smile on their faces again.”

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu. 

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia –   Two West Virginia Wesleyan College students have been named NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium Student Ambassadors, serving as a link between the WVSGC and the community.

Sonya Carper ’28, of Buckhannon, West Virginia,  a dual physics and engineering major, and Dakota Carpenter ‘28, a triple major in mathematics, physics and engineering from Birch River, West Virginia, are building their future paths through their programs here at WVWC and with the WVSGC.

Carper said, “The work I have completed for NASA WV and Space Club with Dr. Tracey Delaney has led me to aerospace engineering. Being able to help build payloads that will be launched from Andoya Space Center in Norway, is, I hope

the beginning of many things. I was afforded a nice scholarship, as well as free travel to events nationwide, and I will never walk away from an opportunity to share my love of all things STEM.”

Carpenter said, “As a freshman, I was unaware of many of the opportunities available to me. After joining West Virginia Wesleyan’s Space Club, Dr. Delaney reached out to me and other students to offer this opportunity to join the WVSGC as an ambassador. Being an ambassador has helped me learn about new opportunities and show my friends and peers the opportunities available to them in their career paths. Being an ambassador has helped me meet new people and learn about new opportunities with my career. As a triple major in mathematics, physics, and engineering I want to become a theoretical physicist and working with people at WVSGC has helped me to meet and connect with people who are aligning with my career path, which has pushed me to work harder in my studies and will help me with finding a job in the future.”

As ambassadors, Carper and Carpenter do not only work with WVWC but with other colleges in the state.

“The ambassador program doesn’t just help at WVWC but at any college that is apart from or working with the WVSGC,” Carpenter said. “At Wesleyan specifically, we have had multiple events with younger children in elementary school age come out and did demonstrations with them on scientific tools and activities to get them excited about college and pursuing a stem field. I personally have worked with people at Wesleyan to help them sign up for WVSGC summer internship programs and paid personal research grants.”

One upcoming event open to the community is also made possible though the WVSGC.

“The Space Club was able to receive funding for Space Day, which is a free event that we will be hosting on March 30, 2025, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the auxiliary gym,” Carper said. “Additionally other organizations on campus can also apply for funding for certain events.”

The Space Club will be giving a Faculty Lecture Series on Feb. 27 to talk more about their NASA project.  If anyone would like any information, they can reach out via email anytime or I will be doing a presentation for the physics department on the 27th in the dining hall as part of the lecture series.”

This has also brought our program coordinator, Kristina Angeline, to our campus with gifts that were handed out to the student body.

Carpenter added, “All of this is an effort to both increase the amount of people applying for summer internships and research projects, promote stem majors/jobs to the youth, and help people find opportunities they need to pursue the career they desire.”

For Carper and Carpenter, the opportunities through the WVSGC continue to pay off.

Carper added, “I was selected to attend the National Council of Directors Conference in Washington, D.C. later this month and I can’t wait to tell them about “My Home Among the Hills at WVWC.”

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, WEST VIRGINIA – West Virginia Wesleyan College and West Virginia MetroNews have launched the 18th annual West Virginia Scholar Program to award a full, four-year scholarship including tuition, room and board and fees at WVWC to one current Mountain State junior.  First and second runner-ups will also receive scholarship awards to WVWC.

Applications for West Virginia high school juniors who plan to graduate from high school in 2026 and pursue higher education, are open online through April 27. Students may apply for the WV Scholar Program online at wvscholar.com. Finalists will be announced this spring. 

John Waltz, Vice President for Enrolment and Marketing, encourages all current high school juniors to apply. 

 “The West Virginia Scholar program has proven to be a life-changing experience for winners, finalists, and all applicants.  Not only are students getting a start on the College application process, but they are also getting first access to WVWC’s generous scholarships and grants.”  

Joe Parsons, Senior Vice President & General Manager for MetroNews, added, “The West Virginia Scholar Program will indeed change the life of a West Virginia student and their family forever.”

As part of the application process, applicants answer an essay question that explains how the student plans to use their education to improve the state of West Virginia or make an impact here from their education.

In addition to WVWC and WV MetroNews, the West Virginia Scholar Program is sponsored by Greer Industries,  Friends of Coal, West Virginia Hospital Association,  the West Virginia Farm Bureau and ‘

ZMM Architects & Engineers.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2022 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan a “Top 20” Best Value – Regional Universities (South) and one of the “Top 75” Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, W. Va. — On Dec. 31, 2024, Buckhannon Toyota generously donated $25,000 to help West Virginia Wesleyan College replace upstairs bleachers in the Rockefeller Physical Education Center. With more than $200,000 total needed for the project, this gift completes fundraising for the initiative.

“We are so thankful to our great friends from Buckhannon Toyota for their amazing support of our bleacher project and for their partnership for many years,” stated James Moore, President of WV Wesleyan. “They have been not only generous neighbors to WVWC but also valued friends and colleagues to our College.”

Fundraising for new bleachers started one year ago with WVWC’s Spring Day of Giving on Feb. 29, 2024. Alumni, parents, faculty, staff, friends and community members contributed funds on that day to kickoff fundraising. Proceeds from last year’s Gala jointly hosted by WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital also supported the effort. When they learned of the final amount of funds needed, Toyota stepped up to finish the project for the community and the College.

“Buckhannon Toyota and the Minsker family are proud to continue supporting our local College and the community functions held there in the gymnasium,” said Kip Cottrill, General Manager of Buckhannon Toyota. “Wesleyan is an important part of our region and we are always happy to support them and their students.”

Original to the building, the current upstairs bleachers have been in place for over 50 years, and have served Wesleyan and the community well through events such as Buckhannon-Upshur High School Graduations, Strawberry Festival functions, youth sports camps, concerts and special exhibitions, and more.

West Virginia Wesleyan is grateful for all those who contributed to this worthwhile project and looks forward to installation of the new upstairs bleachers in the months to come, as well as hosting even more community-related events in the future.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.