Graduate student’s WVU roots run generations deep
Kathryn Hocevar graduated with her bachelor’s degree in public relations from WVU in May and is set to begin the Integrated Marketing Communications master’s program this fall. She is the fifth generation of her family to attend the University. (WVU Photo/Caden Andrick)
For Nottingham, New Hampshire, native Kathryn Hocevar, West Virginia University wasn’t just another college option when she was considering where to go after high school.
Becoming a Mountaineer represented an opportunity to continue a family legacy that she can trace back five generations.
Hocevar’s great-great-grandfather, Marshall Azariah Byrnside, graduated from WVU in 1902 as part of the University’s first law class. His son George, the subject of extensive family lore, became a campus legend for purportedly sneaking a cow into the clock tower of Woodburn Hall, and was expelled for his antics before graduation.
Her grandmother, Mary George, earned a political science degree in 1964, followed by Mary’s brother, Charles Byrnside, who earned a master’s degree from the University in safety in 1969. Charles’ daughter Amy Byrnside completed an animal sciences degree in 1995 and, along with this core group of Byrnsides, there have been countless extended cousins on the Morgantown Campus.
Kathryn Hocevar hails from a long line of relatives who have attended West Virginia University studying a variety of topics ranging from law to animal sciences. (Submitted Photo)
Download full-size
Hocevar proudly goes forward carrying the family torch at the University.
“My family is originally from Boone County and it’s an honor to carry on the tradition of being a Mountaineer,” she said. “I grew up always watching WVU sports on television. There was a lot of gold and blue memorabilia in the house. Growing up with that and then being here, it’s surreal. It’s a beautiful state. I love the school, and I’m honored to be a Mountaineer.”
Hocevar said her family was “absolutely thrilled” when she decided to come to Morgantown.
The transition from New Hampshire to West Virginia did present challenges, but Hocevar embraced the change. “I wanted to go somewhere I didn’t know anyone — a place where I could really discover who I am without distractions,” she said. “As strange as it sounds, New Hampshire and West Virginia are alike — lots of trees, mountains and a strong sense of identity. It just felt right.”
Hocevar said she is a creative at heart and loves spending time in the outdoors. (Submitted Photo)
She found her place on campus through WVU Student Media, working with Prospect and Price Creative and with other College of Creative Arts and Media colleagues at The Daily Athenaeum and U92 The Moose. All these experiences helped her to find her calling, hone her skills and collaborate with “an amazing group of creative students.”
Hocevar completed a bachelor’s degree in public relations, earning minors in marketing and strategic social media in May, and is set to begin the Integrated Marketing Communications master’s degree program this fall — adding another WVU diploma to the family’s count.
In the meantime, she landed an internship for the summer in Pittsburgh with the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission and was working to help the organization honor ordinary people who perform extraordinary acts of heroism.
A creative at heart, Hocevar loves drawing, hiking, exploring nature, traveling, trying new foods and cheering for the Mountaineers. Ultimately, she dreams of becoming a marketing specialist — or even running her own firm. But no matter where her career takes her, she said, she’ll always be proud to have carried on her family’s Mountaineer legacy.
“There’s so much pride and admiration I have for WVU. It’s a great honor to be part of my family’s story here.”
-WVU-