Greetings, Alumni and Friends of Our Wonderful College,
It has been a rainy couple of weeks at WVU Potomac State College, and I am glad.
Our beautiful flowers and our green grass have been thirsty, and the crops we
grow on our farms have been much in need of water. Rain is one of the primary
ingredients which causes our plants to grow and replenish the earth. Lately,
I have been thinking about how rain is also a metaphor for what this administration
is working hard to accomplish with and for WVU Potomac State College.
I hope you all are having a wonderful summer. In May I had the honor of participating
in Commencement for the Class of 2023 and welcoming our graduating alumni.
While we are so very proud of our graduates, I think it is important to mention
that graduation is not a requirement to be an alumnus. Our Catamount alumni
comprise a much larger group than just those who graduated.
John Wilkinson recalls WVU Potomac State College fondly. He
graduated in 1978 from PSC and remains connected to the campus to this day. “The
campus was a perfect fit for me. It was about the same size as my high school,
and I thought the transition to PSC would be a positive experience for this
reason. I felt that going straight to the Morgantown campus might be too overwhelming.
My dad attended PSC from 1933-1934 which is how I knew about the campus,” John
shared.
I Scream! You Scream! We All Scream for Ice Cream!
Zachary Plauger, WVU Potomac State College Alumni, holding the perfect summer treat
at his new business, The Dairy Barn.
Each year at homecoming, the WVU Potomac State College Alumni
Association proudly presents three alumni awards to recognize the outstanding
achievements of those who have earned distinction in their chosen field.
Nominations must be submitted by Tuesday, August 15, for consideration for the
2023 Awards Banquet.
Your help is needed in recognizing the exceptional achievements
of our alumni by submitting a nomination(s) for the following 2023 awards. (Please
note: For consideration, an individual who successfully completed one class
at PSC is considered an alumnus.)
We
heard you! When the PSC Alumni Association received the results from the
Engagement Survey last year, by far the most requested item was to mentor and help
students. The board has been diligently working in partnership with the College
to develop the WVU PSC Alumni Mentorship Program.
This
program is designed to help students gain expertise while building their
professional networks. The students will be teamed up with an alumni mentor,
who will share their knowledge and experience in areas such as career goals,
networking, educational planning, confidence and morale building, and study and
time management.
Nick Gardner, PSC library director, poses with a 3D printed replica of the
lower jawbone of a common minke whale. The original bone is in the science hall
on the PSC campus. The bone’s origins are unknown.
Graduates
recently walked across the stage at the Church-McKee Arts Center to receive their
diplomas during the WVU Potomac State College 120th Commencement Ceremony held on Saturday, May 6. Their
family, friends, faculty, and staff offered cheers and applause.
Attending
college, it’s been said, shouldn’t just be about learning to make a living, it should
also be about learning to make a difference. This was the message West Virginia
Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhart relayed to the 2023 graduating class at
PSC.
WVU
Potomac State College held the 83rd Recognition Day Awards Ceremony earlier this
spring during the Annual Weekend of Honors. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni
were recognized and presented with various awards.
Mason
Belt, a biology major from
Ridgeley, WV, was presented with the Morris Organic Chemistry Award by Dr. Roshan
Lamichhane, assistant professor of chemistry. This award is named for Jasper Morris,
a former professor of chemistry and physics at the College. The student receiving
this award must have the highest average in organic chemistry, both in lecture and
laboratory, for the two-semester sequence.