Few people would consider giving a treat bag to the opposition, but that’s exactly what former West Virginia University Mountaineer Mascot Program Senior Advisor Sonja Wilson proposed when the University first joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012.
For Fayetteville native Caleb Bailes, being a Mountaineer has been a lifelong identity. After taking a break while working towards an electrical engineering degree to accept a position as general manager of Carte Electric, Bailes was determined to complete his degree at WVU and enrolled in the online business management program.
Growing up in Glen Dale, West Virginia University sophomore Kenneth Brannan didn’t think college would ever be in his future. So, he signed up for military service and reported for duty shortly after graduating from high school. He served his country in the U.S Air Force as an F-15 crew chief for seven years, including two deployments, but his military career turned out to be riskier on U.S. soil than during the time he spent overseas.
When Alexander Neukam arrived at West Virginia University, he wasn’t entirely sure what path he would take. Like many students, he came in undecided, exploring his options and finding his footing. It wasn’t until a summer conversation after his freshman year with his grandparents, both nurses, that he realized his calling was in health and well-being.
Cordell McClung, a Summersville native and current owner of OAB Sports Complex, took what he called a “roundabout” way to get to WVU, but it paid off with two degrees, a newly found love for coaching and work with youth in athletics.
If Stumptown Ales owner Cindy Robeson got a college experience do-over, she’d pick West Virginia University without hesitation. Her confidence in that choice, she said, comes from watching three of her children blossom on the Morgantown Campus.
Ryan Turek, a junior at West Virginia University majoring in sport management, is experiencing what most baseball fans only dream of — working during the Major League Baseball Playoffs. When the Cleveland Guardians hosted the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the playoffs, Turek, originally from Mayfield Heights, Ohio, was in the thick of it all as a ballpark runner, making sure operations behind the scenes ran smoothly.
Andrew Solt and Aidan Priest had no intention of joining Greek life as undergraduate students at West Virginia University, let alone building a fraternity from the ground up; however, a few conversations with Paul “PJ” Malafronte, the former director of expansion for the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, changed the trajectory of their lives.
When Ian Frease was a student at West Virginia University, he recalls a scolding from a voice on a speaker he received for bouncing a basketball at a PRT station. Never did he consider he would end up working in the PRT control room, playing a crucial role in operations of the primary mass transit system for the University.
The West Virginia University Mine Rescue Team has evolved from the seed of an idea born out of determination to a highly respected competition team earning accolades around the world for its performance. Built by students from multiple disciplines on campus and industry experts with a passion for safety and rescue, the team already has two international and four national champion titles under its belt.