BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The Center for Community Engagement & Leadership Development (CCE) students invested 9,760 service hours in the Upshur County and surrounding community last academic year and look to continue supporting that effort in the fall.

The CCE seeks to support West Virginia Wesleyan College’s (WVWC) mission by providing opportunities for transformative learning and community engagement to promote positive social change. Staff members and students constantly communicate with their 37 community partners throughout Buckhannon to ensure a transformative and meaningful experience for everyone involved.

The main goal of the center is to support the needs of the community partners and the clients they serve.  Community partners play a large role in a student’s development by providing experiences that further develop their life and professional skills. Each student and partner receives a personalized experience that aligns with their past experiences and future endeavors.

Students spend 4-6 hours a week (75 hours a semester) at their community partner site and, in turn, will be given a $3,000 ($1,500 per semester; $12,000 over four years) scholarship to the College called the Wesleyan Service Scholars (WSS). Based on the hours completed by students and the current WV minimum wage rate of $8.75, the volunteer hours added $85,400 of value back into the community during the 2023-2024 academic year.

“Reflecting on this past year, I think about how we’ve challenged students to dig deeper and find unique ways to measure their impact,” Jessica Vincent ‘12, Director of Community Engagement at WVWC, said. “Of course, we have tremendous support for our events, but we’re pressing forward to make true change through meaningful experiences.” Vincent shares that this requires time, collaboration, and a willingness to go into the trenches alongside their community partners and the people they serve.

The CCE department also advises a peer council on campus. This group of students applies leadership skills gained through the program to organize service events around campus and raise awareness of local, national, and international societal issues. Wesleyan Engaging Leaders through Education Awareness & Development (WE LEAD) comprises six groups: Animal Welfare, High Tunnel, Human Rights, Youth Security, Invisible Illness, and Poverty Reduction. These groups are responsible for hosting events or attending conferences that discuss their topics and the challenges within these social issue teams.

“The most encouraging part of my role in the CCE is seeing students share their passions with others while actively putting them in uncomfortable situations to expand their knowledge and skills,” Vincent said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s an event like Trick-or-Treat for Canned Goods that has been around for years or a new idea scribbled on a napkin; our students are creative about how they serve our community’s needs.”

Each team directly works with a community partner to support and raise awareness for their needs. The Poverty Reduction team directly works with the Upshur Parish House to supply and make a community dinner every semester. Last year, the Youth Security team put on a School Supply Drive for the Upshur County Board of Education.

The CCE looks to the upcoming fall semester with hope for an easy transition as it welcomes 24 new first-year students into its program. One component taught in the CCE is Kouzes and Posner’s leadership theory, which states that “leadership is everyone’s business.  It knows no ethnic or cultural borders, no racial or religious backgrounds, no differences between young and old.”  This incoming group of students highlighted below spans from just down the street to across the world in Ghana.  Some have achieved their Eagle Scout status or served in the Army Junior Reserves.  Cohort members have dedicated their time to service through the National Honors Society, the Red Cross, and Young Life.  One student has served the state as the WV Student Council President and a member of the WV Prevention Research Center’s Youth Advisory Board.  Two students have been a central voice of spirit as mascots in their school.  That talent is endless in this group, and Buckhannon is ready to tap into their potential: Blaise Adams, Charleston, West Virginia; Grant Bare, Summersville, West Virginia; Georgia Bosley, Bridgeport, West Virginia; Josiah Bradsher, Charleston, West Virginia; Jazmyn Brown, Martinsburg, West Virginia; Lauren Cline, Mineral Wells, West Virginia; Cliodhna Collins,  Falls Church, Virginia; Brianna Dalton, Buckhannon, West Virginia; Hailey Daniels,  Clarksburg, West Virginia; Zachary Daniels,  Webster Springs, West Virginia; Hailey Deaver, Parkville, Maryland; Tobias Fleece, Bridgeport, West Virginia; Macon Fleming, Martinsburg, West Virginia; Ronald Greer, Ripley, West Virginia; Angel Harris, of Burlington, West Virginia; Matthew Hatfield, Oceana, West Virginia;  Marley Heath  Berkeley Springs, West Virginia; Destiney Hockensmith, Moorefield, West Virginia; Savannah Hose, Moorefield, West Virginia;  Joseph Kittle, Belington, West Virginia; Ethan McCrum, Parsons, West Virginia; Erik Nkansah, Ghana; Olivia Raber, Parkersburg, West Virginia; and Ian Wyckoff, Weston, West Virginia.

“We’ve been preparing, and I can’t wait to see how this momentum progresses in the coming year,” Vincent said.

The application for the Wesleyan Service Scholarship becomes available to high school seniors on Sept. 1, 2024, for the ensuing year.

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.