For West Virginia University students, the end of a calendar year is special for more than winter break: it marks the Commencement of another class of Mountaineers.
On December 20, the John Chambers College of Business and Economics celebrated the class of winter 2025 at the Hope Coliseum in Morgantown. Crossing the stage, x students – x undergraduates and x graduates – met President Michael T. Benson, who was conducting his first WVU Commencement.
Robert Leary wants to know how the world works. He’s interested in big questions: why do people do what they do? What motivates them? What empowers and disadvantages them?
His goal is to become a lawyer. Thanks to his time studying economics at West Virginia University, he’s already on his way there.
For senior marketing major and Indiana native Grace Bowersox, social media isn’t just a hobby: it’s a career.
Bowersox started creating public content in high school after some encouragement from her friends.
Bank fraud might not be highway robbery in the literal sense, but when it comes to high-profile financial crimes, fraudsters are the modern-day equivalent of the Old West's bandits.
On the other side of the law, Seth Bullock and Wyatt Earp have retired to the history books, but Kylee Reyes is stepping up to take their place.
Sometimes, finding your place is the first step to finding your purpose.
Just ask Parkersburg native Alia Ott. In December 2025, Ott will graduate from West Virginia University with a Supply Chain Management major and an International Business minor.
"In higher education, we often think of years in terms of the academic calendar, which begins and ends in the warmer months. December, however, is the perfect time to reflect on the past 12 months and remember our challenges and successes alike.
"Some of 2025’s biggest moments in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics are gathered here, ranging from academic improvements to sweeping service projects. They’re emblematic of many things: the hard work of our students, the diligence of our faculty and staff, and the achievements of our alumni. More than that, they’re emblematic of the fulfillment of our land-grant mission.
“I love golf – everything about it.”
With that, you know Weston White.
When it comes to helping students stay in school, Retention Specialist Marlenea Brand knows honesty is the best policy.
“I was on academic notice as a freshman,” Brand said. “I had a 1.7 GPA. I’m more than happy to say that out loud for anyone to hear.”
Chambers alumnus Aidan Priest knows what it means to be a Mountaineer. In fact, he was once a finalist to serve as the University's mascot. It’s about more than buckskins and coonskin caps: it’s about the shared identity that unites generations under the WVU banner.
Thanks to that Mountaineer mindset, Priest is connecting students, alumni, and communities as outreach events program coordinator in the University’s offices of Corporate Relations and Government Relations.
One of the cornerstones of a West Virginia University business education is a strong ethical framework. Now, thanks to the support of one of the largest grantmaking foundations in the United States, the business leaders of tomorrow are becoming its philosophical leaders too.
In September 2025, the John Templeton Foundation, which supports interdisciplinary research centered on morality, inspiration and purpose, bestowed a grant of $2.49 million upon the University’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics. The Templeton Foundation grant was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
