News Type: Campus

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – Twenty-six Fall Semester West Virginia Wesleyan College graduates were recently recognized at a program commemorating their academic achievement. All Fall graduates are invited to walk in the May 10 Commencement. 

President of West Virginia Wesleyan College Dr. James Moore asked graduates to think about the faculty, staff, fellow students, friends and family who helped them achieve success in their academic journeys and reminded them that this support does not end upon graduation.

He also encouraged the graduates to “keep dreaming big.”

“Dream big, don’t lose that sense of hope you have and know that whatever life throws at you, you have graduated from one of the finest institutions anywhere,” Moore said. “We have been doing this for 134 years. You’ve got this and we know it because you are absolutely the best measure of our success as an institution.”

The following is an official list of December graduates as of Dec. 10, 2024: Omolade Aderemi ’24, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences; Electra Allembert ’24,  of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Criminal Justice; Loan Chau ’24, of Worcester, Massachusetts, Master of Science in Nursing; Madysan Chisholm ’24, of Waldorf, Maryland; Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice; Ashton Crosten ‘24, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, Master of Science in Nursing; Hanna Davis ’24, of Elkins, West Virginia; Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education; Kelsey Dean ’24, of Buckhanon, West Virginia, Master of Science in Nursing; Abigail Fowler ’24, of Hurricane, West Virginia, Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education; Chelsey Fritz ’24, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, Bachelor of Arts in English; Devin Johnson ’24, of Matthews, North Carolina, Five-Year Master of Business Administration; Kihiro Karasawa ’24, of Japan, Bachelor of Science in Physics; Victoria Klinger ’24, of Coalton, West Virginia, Master of Science in Nursing; Emily Lahman ’24, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, Bachelor of Science in Management; Bree Moll ’24, of Craigsville, West Virginia, Bachelor of Science in Biology; Itsuki Muramatsu ’24, of Japan, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science; Kosei Nkamura ’24, of Japan, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science; Jaime Razo Jr. ‘24, of Tomball, Texas, Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice; Bethani Rucker ‘24, of Hampton, Virginia, Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice; Novalee Schmidt ‘24, of Inwood, West Virginia, Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice; Elizabeth Sendling ‘24, of Coalton, West Virginia; Master of Science in Nursing; Christopher Taylor ‘24, of Leesburg, Virginia, Bachelor of Arts in Crimimal Justice; Chance Walther ‘24, of Greenbank, West Virginia, Master of Science in Nursing; Colyn Webster ‘24, of Accokeek, Maryland, Bachelor of Science in Management; Nathan Whitman ‘24, of South Charleston, West Virginia; Bachelor of Arts in Religous Life Studies; and Gabriella Wolverton ‘24, of Exchange, West Virginia; Bachelor of Science in Nursing. 

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.

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 Campus Life has opened a gender-inclusive learning community for students. The learning community is a space for students who identify with the LGTBQ+ community and learning space that fosters security for those in the community.

The learning community moved to a different residence hall this year due to the need for a more accessible space. With the vast number of students in the LGBTQ+ community, the residence hall floor co-exists as a learning center. It was designed to foster relationships and a safe space.

Kenna Whitcomb, the assistant director of Campus Life, states, “The floor is a learning community designed to foster relationships and provide a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community. In this community, Resident Assistants implement programming surrounding current events, hardships, social, and educational opportunities that involve the LGBTQ+ community.”

Alongside the campus’s efforts to support the LGBTQ+ community, a student-led group on campus has been flourishing with events. PRISM, the queer-straight alliance on campus allows the LGTBQ+ community and allies to interact and discuss what is happening on campus and plan events that bring awareness to the community. 

Cadie Kittle, a junior and secretary of PRISM at West Virginia Wesleyan College states, “PRISM is WVWC’s queer-straight alliance. On campus, PRISM provides a space where students, no matter their identity, can feel empowered and supported. Education and Unity are two major drivers of the organization, and we hope to spread awareness on issues impacting the queer community.

“This semester, we brought back an event that was previously held by PRISM, but died out with the COVID-19 pandemic: the Coming Out Door. The event is held annually on October 11, National Coming Out Day. Students, faculty, and community members alike are invited to step through a door and symbolically ‘come out,’ a term used in the community that refers to an LGBTQ+ person disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity. People were welcome regardless of identity, with many participants ‘coming out’ as allies of the LGBTQ+ community.”

The student-led group has also held discussions with Shauna Jones, director of the Counseling Center, to discuss self-acceptance and survivor’s guilt and with Title IX coordinator, Amy Kittle about LGBTQ+ rights and resources. 

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 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh 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; 21 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 alumni who continue to support their alma mater and the work of the Black Student Union on campus at West Virginia Wesleyan College were recognized during a special Homecoming celebration.

Angel Riley ’99 and Dr. Robbie Quarles ’11 received the first annual Sankofa BSU Alumni Awards.

Sankofa is a Ghanaian adinkra symbol that means to go back and reclaim your past so you can move forward to understand how you came to be who you are today, according to Laurie Goux, director of the Center for Cultural and International Affairs. It reminds us that we must continue to move forward as we remember the past and simultaneously plant a seed for future generations.

Riley, a member of the WVWC Board of Trustees, said, “ I am deeply honored to receive the Sankofa Award from the Black Student Union (BSU). This recognition reaffirms my commitment to giving back to the student organization that nurtured my growth. The BSU continues to foster an environment where diversity is celebrated, enriching campus life and shaping each student’s experience in invaluable ways. Let us, as alumni, strengthen the BSU legacy of support and education so future generations continue to benefit.”

Quarles previously worked at WVWC as Director of Multicultural Programs and Services before moving to South University where he is Dean of Student Affairs.

“It was an honor to receive acknowledgment and accolades from the Black Student Union,” Quarles said. “The BSU was not only a cultural cornerstone of my college experience but also became a significant part of my professional journey as a staff member. Wesleyan will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’m deeply grateful that the organization and the multicultural office continue to thrive in support of students.

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 – The Hon. Judge Michael J. Aloi ’80 will give the welcome for an upcoming statewide event as part of International Restorative Justice Week.

The Center for Restorative Justice at WVWC is working in partnership with the West Virginia Restorative Justice Project to hold talking circles around the state on Nov. 20. Aloi will give the welcome on Zoom followed by a brief presentation about restorative justice and talking circles by members of the West Virginia Restorative Justice Project advisory team.

Aloi serves as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia in Clarksburg.

This free Zoom event will take place with talking circles throughout the state from Buckhannon to Wheeling, Charleston, Martinsburg and many points in between.

To register and find out more information, visit https://www.wvrjp.org/wvrjpnov24

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.

To learn more or to register, visit https://www.wvrjp.org/wvrjpnov24

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The annual Festival of Lessons and Carols will be held Sunday, Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. in Wesley Chapel bringing together the campus and community for a heartwarming tradition that opens the holiday season.

Dean of the Chapel Rev. Jonathan Acord, said, “The Festival of Lessons and Carols invites the Wesleyan community to experience the story of Christ’s revelation to the world through reflection and song.”

Members of the West Virginia Wesleyan College  community will be invited to share this story during the program.

West Virginia Wesleyan’s Concert Chorale and Concentus Vocum, conducted by Hughes, will offer a live performance of many traditional and loved carols as well as several unique selections.

Immediately following the service, the audience will recess outside for the lighting of the Christmas tree with Dr. James Moore, president of WVWC.

The Festival of Lessons and Carols and tree lighting ceremony are free and open to the public.

Aladdin Food Service will serve a holiday menu to the community in French See Dining Hall from 4:30- 7 p.m. Cost for community members will be $12.

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 the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine continues to expand their partnership with three freshmen entering into the Go D.O. Early Scholars Program this academic year. 

The Go D.O. Early Scholars Program allows qualifying students to receive guaranteed acceptance into the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, upon successful completion of the undergraduate program requirements and interview as well as a waived MCAT. The program represents the first of its kind partnership between WVSOM and another institution of higher learning. 

The first cohort will graduate from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2025 and head to WVSOM.

“As this program continues to grow, we remain so proud of the students who have made the choice to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine,” Dr. James Moore, president of West Virginia Wesleyan College, said. “Our region needs primary care providers who understand how to treat the whole person, and I know these students will be among the best practitioners anywhere. We continue to be honored that West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine thought of Wesleyan to partner in this program.”

Drake O’Dell ‘28, of Summersville, West Virginia, Dane Heath ‘28, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, and Chloe Cox ‘28, of Craigsville, West Virginia, were introduced Friday.

Heath, a biochemistry major and mathematics minor, overcame a major medical event that inspired her medical school journey.

“When I was younger, I suffered a traumatic brain injury that took a huge toll on every aspect of my life, and doctors told me that I would never recover,” Heath said. “After several years, we discovered that the answer to my recovery lay in a holistic approach, and I knew I wanted to pursue medicine to help others facing what seem like doomed outcomes as well.”

Heath was drawn to the Go D.O. program in particular for a variety of reasons. 

“As I mentioned, the holistic approach to medicine is what helped me recover, so that’s mainly why I was drawn to the Go D.O. program as I knew I wanted to pursue osteopathic medicine,” Heath said. “WVWC is also part of the community that I’ve grown up in and the ability to stay here, close to family, as well as the lower in-state tuition offered by WVSOM, was too good to pass up; I feel very fortunate to have been given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

O’Dell, also a biochemistry major, is interested in the mental health field.

“I want to become a doctor so I can help fight the mental illness epidemic in my home state of West Virginia,” he said. “Many factors drew me to the Go DO program, WV Wesleyan and West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine are both very prestigious schools that are close to where I grew up. They provide a top-notch education in a small school setting which I love, I am also terrified of the MCAT which I am now exempt from so long as I meet the GPA requirements.”

Cox, also a biochemistry major, said, “I have known from a young age that I wanted to be a doctor. There have been many illnesses in my family and I want to provide the support and be there for other families in need. My ideal goals for being a doctor include opening free clinics throughout the state of West Virginia, so health care can be more affordable and easier to access for families in need. 

“I chose to go the route of being a DO because I like how they focus not just on the specific illness but instead focus on the whole body. I gravitated towards the idea of holistic medicine and it truly intrigued me.”

Kaef Rehman ’25, of Daniels, West Virginia; Abigail Patterson ’25, of Charleston, West Virginia; Ravenna Navalgund ’26, of Irvin, Pennsylvania; Srikiran Nandigama ‘26, of Salt Point, New York; Tessa Sleeth ‘26, of Salem, West Virginia; Madelyn Armstrong ’27, of Bridgeport, West Virginia; Wyatt Burns ’27, of Weston, West Virginia; Jack Monks ’27, of Charleston, West Virginia;  Lanna Nguyen ‘27, of Bristow, Virginia; and Sophia Shoemaker ‘27, of Elkins, West Virginia, comprise the first three classes of Go D.O. Scholars. 

Applications are now being accepted for 2025 admission. The priority deadline is December 1.  In-state and out-of-state students who score at least a 1390 on the SAT or at least a 30 on the ACT and have at least a 3.75 grade point average qualify for the Go D.O. Early Scholars Program. Click here to find out more. 

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College’s  Beta Beta chapter of Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society recently inducted two new members into its honor society. Elisha Taylor ’27, of Ridgeley, West Virginia,  and Carly Wolfgang ’26, of Leesburg, Virginia, qualified to join the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society on Oct. 21, 2024.

Faculty advisor for Lambda Pi Eta, Dr. Nancy Bressler, said, “It is wonderful to see the accomplishments these inductees will make within the field of communication. Their meaningful work in the department demonstrates how wonderful these students are.” 

Wolfgang said, “I am so excited to be joining an honors society like Lambda Pi Eta. I believe that it will be truly beneficial to me in the future as I look for job opportunities that will require my communication and marketing skills! I’m ready for the opportunities that are now open for me!”

Taylor added, “It has been such an honor to be considered and inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society. I am excited to gain more knowledge in communication and continue to do research on campus.”

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan’s School of Nursing formally welcomed 23 sophomores into the nursing program recently with a White Coat Ceremony, which was held in Wesley Chapel on the West Virginia Wesleyan College campus. 

White Coat Ceremonies have been conducted since 1993 within the medical profession, but are relatively new to nursing.  Ten years ago, in 2014, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing formed a new partnership with The Arnold P. Gold Foundation to introduce this rite of passage to nursing schools in recognition of the need for all members of the healthcare team to commit to providing compassionate care.

Dr. Kimberly White, Director of the WVWC School of Nursing said, “It is a great honor to present our nursing students with their white coats, a symbol of their responsibilities as health care providers as they affirm their commitment to providing humanistic, patient-centered care as they begin caring for those in clinical settings. In addition, we also perform the Blessing of the Hands ritual that serves as a powerful reminder of the sacred trust placed in the hands of nurses.”

Graci Ketterman ’27, of Buckhannon, said, “I was very excited to receive my white coat, it meant to me that I was starting my journey to becoming a nurse.”

Regarding future plans she stated, “A goal of mine would be to continue my education after nursing school into obtaining my master’s degree in nursing.”

Also receiving their white coats during the ceremony were Riley Amos, of Glenville, West Virginia; Laci Armes, of Dublin, Virginia; Gracey Arnold, of Rockmart, Georgia; Corey Baugh, of Coral Springs, Florida; Kailey Garofalo, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Ana Haught, of Bridgeport, West Virginia; Elexus Heckert, of Jane Lew, West Virginia; Aiden Holbert, of Charleston, West Virginia; Patricia Kelley, of Philippi, West Virginia; Marisa Lauffer, of Mount Airy, Maryland; Harley Linger, of Buckhannon, West Virginia; Isabel McCloy, of Simpson, West Virginia; Mallory McGinnis, of Scott Depot, Wirginia; Sydney McKinney, of Dublin, Ohio; Benjamin Meyer, of Morgantown, West Virginia; Dalaynie Myers, of Albright, West Virignia; Lindsay Neel, of Craigsville, West Virginia; Chloe Saltis, of Flemington, West Virginia; Emily Stewart, of Richmond, Ohio; Malayla Tompkins, of Buckhannon, West Virginia; Francine Ugsang, of Lost Creek, West Virginia; Addison Walker, of Gerrardstown, West Virginia .

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia  –  When he is not wielding a camera on the sidelines of West Virginia Wesleyan College’s athletic contests or crafting an endless stream of press releases, WVWC Sports Information Director Pete Galarneau ’98 may just be working on an idea for his next novel.

Two new books were published in time for the spooky season: “A Coupla’ Cool Cars”  and “The Trash Man and The Legend of Ashbury Creek.”

In the novella, “A Coupla’ Cool Cars,” Galarneau spins a story of a man returning to the West Virginia hills to handle family business during the COVID-19 pandemic. On a bike ride one day, an encounter with some people on a back road leads to an adventure.

“It was inspired by me being out riding and seeing a drift car where a drift car should not be,” Galarneau said. “The story is really about COVID. Anytime I write something, there is something about me that has to do with how I handle struggles in write. I write novels. I knew people who had died from COVID including some close family members. I kind of encapsulate those feelings. People who know me well will recognize that. People who don’t will just get a really good story.”

In the novel, “The Trash Man,” Galarneau sets the novel at a race track, an idea he first had in the early 1990s and had set aside until more recently. A man who picks up extra work during the summers at a local race track ends up making a deal with a shadow creature to save the life of a little girl who was very sick. However, the man pays a heavy price as readers will discover.

Although a published author, this is the first time Galarneau wrote two stories simultaneously. He began writing “The Trash Man” when the idea for “A Coupla’ Cool Cars” came to Galarneau on a bike ride.

Galarneau will have a book signing at Argo Books, Main Street, Buckhannon, on Friday, Nov. 1 from 4 to 6 p.m. The books will be available exclusively at Argo Books and at petergalarneau.com

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.