Leadership West Virginia Gives Back by Mentoring High School Seniors

A group of West Virginia leaders are giving back to their communities through education. The 2011 Class of Leadership West Virginia partnered with College Summit West Virginia to help students plan for college. College Summit West Virginia paired the talented and educated leaders from the Leadership West Virginia class with College Summit peer leaders - seniors who participated in a College Summit workshop last summer. The one-on-one, one-hour mentoring session took place during the Leadership West Virginia session on education at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs. The students also had the opportunity to get to know other members of the Leadership West Virginia class during a luncheon sponsored by BrickStreet Insurance.

When asked about her experience with College Summit, Dr. Michelle Easton, Leadership West Virginia Class of 2011 and Dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Charleston stated, “My parents instilled in me the importance of getting an education, both formal and informal. They made me believe that education is the way to allow you to advance, to have a better quality of life and not only provide for your family, but also to be able to help society. I’ve always had a passion for trying to have that belief instilled in others. College Summit does that and does it very well.”

“It gave our group a means of giving back and we were inspired by the ambitions of the students,” stated James Owrey, Leadership West Virginia Class of 2011 and Endowment and Major Gifts Manager for the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. “They reminded us why it’s great to be in West Virginia and how powerful it is to come together in pursuit of these goals.”

College Summit West Virginia currently serves more than 8, 200 students in 27 schools. With partners and volunteers like those from Leadership West Virginia, our work can continue to grow and expand to support students, educators, and communities throughout the state. The vision of College Summit is that all students will experience high school as a launchpad for college and career success.

Leadership West Virginia and College Summit share a passion for cultivating leaders for the future prosperity and progress of West Virginia. Leadership West Virginia has selected College Summit as their class community partner to help develop the leaders of the future. Learn more at www.leadershipwv.org.