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Faith Figgins, an economics graduate from Martinsburg, WV, chose her major because she saw it as a well-rounded program and found that there are endless opportunities within the major.

“WVU offered the best opportunity to pursue whatever my heart desired,” said Figgins. “Within the economics program, the courses hone in on analytic and problem-solving skills applicable to the personal and professional world. The department is full of people who are eager to learn, and mentors that are knowledgeable and willing to guide you on your own path.”

Chambers College MBA graduate and West Virginia native Selena Hayes also received her undergraduate degree in psychology from WVU.

“My employer of nearly 15 years closed their Morgantown facility in 2021, providing me with the perfect opportunity to further my education,” said Hayes. “I wanted a degree that would broaden my horizons and increase the availability of future career opportunities. The WVU MBA program checked all of those boxes while offering the convenience and flexibility of online coursework.

Benjamin Craw is originally from Champaign, Illinois, and received his undergraduate degree in business administration from Mississippi State University.

“I changed my major four times during undergrad and had three different internships that propelled me to choose to pursue my masters in human resources management,” said Craw. “Overall, I wanted to work with and support people while in a business environment, and HR provided me with that opportunity.

Originally from Fayetteville, WV, Mason Harp admits he chose marketing because he wanted to promote certain brands and businesses. Lucky for him, he got a small taste of that promoting both new and well-known products as the University’s Coca-Cola Ambassador. 

During his time as a business student, he has also been involved in Delta Sigma Pi, Niedermeyer Scholars, Career Readiness Program, and Public Relations Student Society of America.

Virginia Rose, a master’s of science in human resource management (MSHRM) grad from Berryville, Virginia, is now a two-time WVU graduate after earning her undergraduate degree in sport and exercise psychology in 2021. 

“I love WVU and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else,” said Rose. “My program challenged me and showed me what I was capable of. Additionally, it made it really easy to make connections and expand my network.”

On Saturday, December 17, the Chambers College welcomed 248 business graduates into our alumni family.

All of our graduates – 177 undergraduate students and 71 graduate students – joined together in the WVU Coliseum with family and friends at 2:00 p.m. to hear inspiring words from West Virginia University’s President E. Gordon Gee, as well as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed.

It was a milestone year that set the bar high for the future of business education as we brought our experiential learning mission to life in our new spaces, explored new research pursuits to solve global problems, and experienced increases in enrollment and student placement.

Here are a few of our most proudest moments:

Reynolds Hall is not just a new brick-and-mortar building: it creates new opportunities to evolve the way we work, learn, interact, collaborate and teach on campus.

These new dynamics will play out as we explore this advanced learning complex and take advantage of our new labs, building technologies and experiential learning spaces to achieve strategic outcomes. Our move came on the heels of the pandemic, which required us to deeply leverage technology to deliver courses remotely and interact and collaborate with students completely online. 

Emmy Severs may be an entrepreneurship senior at the Chambers College, but when she arrived at West Virginia University she had a different career path in mind. However, relying on her passions and creative skills, she continues to show others what you can do when life gives you lemons. 

"The pandemic gave people the opportunity to reevaluate their passions and find something they connected with," she said. "For me, that was connecting back to my old love of illustrating greeting cards, this time with my iPad instead of crayons and colored pencils. I have always been a very creative person and love to paint, draw, or any outlet that allows me to be artistic." 

West Virginia is ready to honor a new class of business success stories.  

Nominations for the 2023 West Virginia Business Hall of Fame are being accepted through Jan. 2, 2023. Now in its 22nd year, the Hall of Fame recognizes business leaders who, throughout their careers, have demonstrated extraordinary influence and impact in their fields. Nominations are open to individuals who have built their careers in West Virginia, been educated in West Virginia, or are native to West Virginia.