WVU student experience manager finds joy in helping others with purpose
WVU Purpose Center Student Experience Manager Jessie Barclay will visit more than 150 classes on campus this semester as she helps students discover their strengths and, ultimately, their purpose. (WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)
Jessie Barclay has a knack for spotting potential where others might see uncertainty.
As the student experience manager at the West Virginia University Purpose Center — the first of its kind at a university — she spends her days helping students uncover their strengths, clarify their goals, and find a sense of purpose on campus and beyond.
A Morgantown native, Barclay has worked at WVU since 2013, beginning as a graduate assistant for the Career Services Center until completing her master’s degree in counseling.
She worked off campus for a bit until WVU drew her back in in 2015 to be a career counselor and then as the assistant director of career development until 2023. While in that role, she signed up to become a CliftonStrengths coach when the Purpose Center opened and joined the team full-time not long after that.
A large part of Barclay’s job is helping students uncover their strengths which helps them develop clear goals both for their time as a WVU student and after graduation. (Submitted Photo)
“I learned very quickly that I love seeing people discover their potential,” she said. “And I quickly realized my passion and background in guiding students through the Career Services Center aligned perfectly with the Purpose Center’s mission.”
Barclay’s work at the Purpose Center includes coordinating one-on-one coaching, leading presentations and partnering with faculty to connect with students in over 150 classes this semester alone. For months already, she’s been working to reach first-year students through New Student Orientation.
“We are at every single NSO,” Barclay said. “We speak to students and parents to let them know we’re here for them. So far this year, I’ve met with at least 15 incoming freshmen, one-on-one, to talk through their Strengths, and I hope as the semester goes on that number will increase substantially.”
Tabling events around campus are an important part of introducing the Purpose Center to new students, their parents and the greater WVU community. (Submitted Photo)
Barclay said understanding Strengths can help students navigate tricky situations and other challenges they may face while getting settled on campus.
Meeting new professors, adjusting to class schedules and study requirements, finding student organizations to join and new groups of friends, even roommate situations can be easier when students understand why they are the way they are and how they can interact with those around them in positive, purposeful ways.
“I think one of the most important things about the work we do is that Strengths gives students a language to talk about what they’re good at,” she said. “My advice to new students is often not to be afraid to be themselves and to really question who that is. If they’re having an existential crisis, that’s actually a good thing because it means they’re asking themselves the right questions. It might be uncomfortable, but that’s how we learn. And, of course, come see us at the Purpose Center.”
Strengths buttons, distributed by Barclay and the rest of the Purpose Center team at tabling events, can be spotted all over campus displayed by students, staff and faculty at WVU. (Submitted Photo)
Even small touches like a Strengths button — popular takeaways from Purpose Center tabling events, proudly worn on a lanyard or backpack — can spark a student’s confidence and connection, especially at a time when they’re dealing with huge life changes.
“We strive to be another layer of support on campus,” she said. “There are so many tremendous resources at WVU and we partner with so many different offices and faculty. We really pride ourselves on constantly building new partnerships so students always feel important when they’re here.”
Jessie Barclay, and the rest of the Purpose Center team, serve the entire WVU community. Anyone interested in learning more about their Strengths can find information about workshops, coaching sessions and more on the Center’s website. (WVU Photo/Jennifer Shephard)
For Barclay, success is measured by the quiet victories the Purpose Center staff gets to witness, including times when students feel comfortable in their own skin and confident about their future.
“I never expected to love a job as much as I do,” she says. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I’m here, helping students see how they can thrive — not just at WVU, but in West Virginia and beyond.”
Jessie Barclay says she loves her work at the Purpose Center and finds great satisfaction in helping those that she works with realize their strengths and find their purpose. (Submitted Photo)
Outside the Center, Barclay enjoys a quiet life on the family farm with her husband and child. She loves learning about food history, traveling and retreating to her cabin in Berkeley Springs as often as possible.
-WVU-