BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society recently hosted the Fall 2023 Communication Capstone final projects presentations.  Lambda Pi Eta is the Honor Society for the Communication Department at WVWC and fosters interest in the field of communication.

The three Communication majors who presented their work have been researching and creating their final capstone projects all semester. These research and video projects represent the critical thinking, media literacy, research, and media production skills garnered from their time in the Communication Department.

Chloe Sotomayor ’24, a senior Communication major from Spencer, West Virginia, presented her research entitled “Appalachian Roots, Latina Dreams: Navigating Ethnic Identity in West Virginia.” Her autoethnography analyzed her experience of growing up Latina in West Virginia, which was characterized by a complex interplay of factors. Chloe hopes that this project contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of diversity within the state and the potential for cultural integration.

Jason Wilson Jr, ‘24 a senior Communication major from Baltimore, Maryland, presented his video project “100+ Years in Black Men Fashion.” Jason’s video combined his interest in video production and creating a video that had a societal impact. He wanted to demonstrate how men’s fashion has transformed over the years and how cultural influences played a role in those changes.

Danica Propst ’25, a junior Communication major from Martinsburg, West Virginia, presented her Ledford Scholars Program research. The Ledford Scholars Award honors students doing undergraduate research in Appalachian counties and Danica was awarded a 2023 Ledford Scholars Award. Danica’s project entitled “Fourth-Wave Feminism on Social Media & Generation Z” examines how social media is being used as a tool for social change by using the feminist movement, and the impact that social media messages have on Generation Z women. Not only does her research investigate how social media is used, but it examines the perceptions of the people who use it, as well as how these perceptions gained from the social media messages influence their experiences in the real world.

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 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan eighth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 50 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.