For West Virginia University undergraduate researcher Kasia Jaczynska, who grew up in Morgantown, “WVU has always felt like home.” Now a senior, she came to the University fascinated by chemistry and the access that discipline gave her to the invisible world of molecules and atoms.
Lauren Fitzgerald, a senior from Fanwood, New Jersey, grew up surrounded by sports through her father’s career and her brother’s interest in the field. From her experience with the New Jersey Jackals to her internship with West Virginia University Athletics in Operations and Facilities, she has turned her family’s influence into a foundation for her own career path.
Whinston Antion, director of identity and access management with West Virginia University Information Technology Services, has served as a key leader in the University’s digital security efforts for nearly two decades. “I have the privilege of leading a team of experts who serve as the University’s digital gatekeepers,” he said.
Before he became a national champion or a doctoral candidate, Casey Orndorff was just a high school kid trying to keep up. When he walked onto the campus of West Virginia University Institute of Technology, he had big dreams for his future which now include making the 2028 Summer Paralympics team.
West Virginia University senior Sam Stalnaker arrived on campus with limited physics knowledge. But thanks to strong mentors and faculty relationships, he’s become a trusted member of the undergraduate physics and astronomy research team and is on his way to reaching his full potential.
Though she used to be one, Madison Clayton, West Virginia University Mountaineer Athletic Club director of donor relations and communications, says she will have no problem rooting against the Pitt Panthers in the “Backyard Brawl.”
After a scholarship enabled Siti Suwanda to leave Indonesia to pursue a degree abroad, she landed in Morgantown thanks, in part, to her fandom for Wonder Woman. The West Virginia University logo reminded her of that superhero’s famous emblem, she said, convincing her to apply to the doctoral program in marketing at the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics.
West Virginia University undergraduates Shelby Cavender and Tyler Jeffries started small, collaborating to sell fashion finds on social media — WVU gear, graphic tees, sneakers and more. Then their resale operations grew. And grew. And grew.
West Virginia University supporters Gary McKown and Jill Meuser have contributed nearly $100,000 to West Virginia University over a span of more than two decades, providing scholarship support for nearly 30 students within the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences and the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
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.