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Presidential Student Ambassadors radio spot - February 20, 2026
Transcript
Shauna Johnson: This is West Virginia University. Each semester, select cohorts of first and second-year students are chosen to learn and serve as Presidential Student Ambassadors, student leaders who exemplify Mountaineer values. Among those in a recent cohort.
Liam McCarthy: Hi, I'm Liam McCarthy, and I'm a sophomore at West Virginia University studying chemistry and music. I'm from Inwood, West Virginia, which is in the Eastern Panhandle. I heard about the program first from my brother, who was Presidential Student Ambassador three years prior and spoke very highly of Dr. Carolyn Atkins.
Shauna Johnson: Atkins oversees the program which brings together students who are nominated and apply from a variety of backgrounds and academic disciplines for coursework and service work. The goal is to foster a spirit of service and leadership among students who share Mountaineer passion and pride with others in many ways, including public speaking.
Liam McCarthy: We would do these heavy peer critiques where we would talk about what we did right and wrong, which was really interesting because we got to build each other up, but we also got to see where we need to improve.
Shauna Johnson: McCarthy, a foundation scholar, took those lessons to roles with the Student Government Association and the university's planetarium and observatory.
Liam McCarthy: The biggest takeaway from the Presidential Student Ambassadors Program was encouraging me to branch out. I still work at the planetarium now, and I use the skills that I learned from Presidential Student Ambassadors to educate about an audience of 60 every other Friday night.
Shauna Johnson: For McCarthy, all the experiences enrich his overall university education.
Liam McCarthy: I think communication is a crucial part of any career path. As a chemistry major, communicating in the science field is incredibly important, whether that's with your colleagues or through academic papers, and music is a type of communication. I will directly use what I've learned to speak to my music colleagues, but also I've used what I've learned to be a better musician. Learning about syntax and phrasing and diction and speaking clearly has made me a better improviser in jazz.
Shauna Johnson: So let's go. Follow our stories at wvutoday.wvu.edu.
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